Gnosticism refers to a number of religious groups from the
early centuries of Christianity that emphasized the
importance of secret knowledge to escape the trappings of
this material world. The name Gnostic itself comes from the
Greek word for 'knowledge,' gnosis. Gnostics, then, are the
ones who are in the know. And what do they know? They know
the truth that can set them free from this world of matter,
which was created not by the one true God but by lower,
inferior, and often ignorant deities who designed this world
as a place of entrapment for elements of the divine. Gnostic
religions indicate that some of us have a spark of divinity
within us, a spark that longs to be set free from the prison
of our bodies. These religions provide the secret knowledge
that allows us to transcend our mortal, material bodies to
return to the heavenly realm whence we originally came,
where we will once again live with the gods.

Generally speaking, the
Gnostics were Egyptians, Essene Jews, and early Christians,
'heretics' who practiced mystery cults based on the idea of
'knowing' the divine. Gnosis is now preferred to the term
to Gnosticism - a religion of its own - as a label for this
loosely connected group.

Thirteen of the books of
the Christian New Testament are the epistles (letters)
of St. Paul, and Paul is the earliest and first Christian
author for which we have historical writings21. Seven were
probably written by Paul himself and six others have been
written in his name by (anonymous) followers, some up to 80
years after his death. Was Paul himself a gnostic and a
teacher of the Jesus Mysteries, or was he a literalist? The
scholars T. Freke & P. Gandy in The Jesus Mysteries compiled
a large quantity of historical evidence that St. Paul was a
Gnostic. (source: The Human Truth Foundation).

Gnostics do not look to
salvation from sin (original or other), but rather from the
ignorance of which sin is a consequence. Ignorance --
whereby is meant ignorance of spiritual realities -- is
dispelled only by Gnosis, and the decisive revelation of
Gnosis is brought by the Messengers of Light, especially by
Christ, the Logos of the True God. It is not by His
suffering and death but by His life of teaching and His
establishing of mysteries that Christ has performed His work
of salvation.

Gnosticism embraces numerous general attitudes toward life:
it encourages non-attachment and non-conformity to the
world, a “being in the world, but not of the world”; a lack
of egotism; and a respect for the freedom and dignity of
other beings. Nonetheless, it appertains to the intuition
and wisdom of every individual “Gnostic” to distill from
these principles individual guidelines for their personal
application.

The two principal branches of
the Gnostic Church are the French and the English. Of these,
the French is the older and more widely disseminated.
Gnosticism has seen something of a resurgence in popular
culture in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This may
be related, certainly, to the sudden availability of Gnostic
texts to the reading public, following the emergence of the
Nag Hammadi library. The Nag Hammadi library is known as the
Dead Sea Scrolls.

Certain
groups of Hawaiians believe that Hawaii was settled as much
as 1,500 years earlier than anthropologists believe.

These
people say the ancestors came here from the stars at tens of
thousands of years ago. They brought with them a sacred
wisdom called Ho'ala Huna (Hawaiian words that mean:
"that which causes an awakening to the secret or sacred
awareness of Reality.") This knowledge was said to be
the ultimate science of the world of spirit as well as the
world of form.

This
knowledge was kept a treasured secret among a special
priesthood lineage known as the Mo'o or dragon priests.
These priests are said to have used this knowledge to build
a powerful culture in a land called Mu, which later spread
to Egypt and regions of Central and South America.

Due to a contentious battle this motherland was completely
destroyed. To preserve elements of this sacred knowledge,
the priests who were its keepers in Egypt migrated eastward
across northern India and southern Asia. Their goal was to
reach a land in the middle of the ocean where the knowledge
could be preserved until a time when it could once again
"Fly around the world as if on wings of a bird."

As they migrated eastward they founded centers of learning
which became the forerunners of many of the world's
religions. They eventually arrived in Hawaii sometime before
600 BC. (750 BC to
1,250 AD)

Island of Kauai

Ho'ala
Huna resulted in a civilization so advanced that its people
lived in what can only be described as paradise. These
people thrived in total peace and harmony for nearly 2,000
years. They had no need for kings, armies, tax collectors,
police or jails. Its system of conflict resolution and
justice was a model of effectiveness. Its family's
exemplified the ideals of safety and nurturing and produced
people who were strong of body, mind, and spirit.

Each person saw life as a Divine opportunity to develop
one's spirit. In learning how to master their spirits they
learned how to master the flow of life energy. By learning
how to master the flow of life energy, they learned how to
master their Divine ability to create. By taking personal
responsibility for how they created their lives they grew in
terms of personal enlightenment and empowerment.

This enlightened society was governed by counsels of family
elders and supported by a hierarchy of highly skilled, yet
humble priest-teachers known as kahuna - keepers of the
wisdom - whose entire lives were unconditionally dedicated
to the task. Originally, their headquarters was the Big
Island of Hawaii.

This ancient system affirms that God is found not in a
church but in the essence of one's being because each person
is a part of the ALL THAT IS that is God.

It sees each person's life as a perfect, and Divinely
inspired path and that each person will eventually wake up
back home, that place where each of us are completely aware
of our Divine nature.

The
teachings of Ho'ala Huna are firmly rooted in universal
truth. It postulates that enlightenment is the purpose of
life, that expanding consciousness is the nature
of Divinity, and that the attainment of total consciousness
is the nature of Godhood, and the eventual destiny of every
conscious
being.

Ho'ala
Huna affirms that priests cannot teach anyone anything they
don't already know. As a part of God, each of us are already
KNOW everything. Kahuna can only provide perspectives that
allow a person to remember that, which has been forgotten.
Out of respect for each person's path, Kahuna offer no
perspective unless it is sincerely requested in a spirit of
humility.

Pa'ao, a kahuna of the Order of Ku, organized an invasion of
the Big Island of Hawaii in 1250 A.D. Pa'ao replaced
the enlightened Hawaiian culture with a class-based society
known as the Ali'i (royalty based system) and installed his
Tahitian relatives to be kings over the native
Hawaiians.

Except for a few high priests known as Kahuna of the Order
of Kane (Kah-nay) the high priests of the Mo'o clan) who
escaped to the northern-most island of Kauai, the knowledge
of Ho'ala Huna became lost to the Polynesian people and the
world.

The only island Pa'ao could not conquer was the island of
Kauai. He mounted three invasions, but due to freak storms
and other unusual problems, his soldiers never set foot on
the island. Through time, other Tahitian kings also
attempted to invade Kauai. Even Kamehameha mounted three
unsuccessful invasions. It was primarily on Kauai, and in
the mountainous regions of the Big Island and Molokai that
Ho'ala Huna was preserved among the Mo'o priests who were
able to avoid capture.

Kami refers to the divinity, or sacred essence, that manifests in multiple forms: rocks, trees, rivers, animals, places, and even people can be said to possess the nature of kami. Kami and people are not separate; they exist within the same world and share its interrelated complexity.

Most of the Japanese attend Shinto shrines and beseech “kami“ without belonging to an institutional "Shinto" religion. The beliefs are not focused on absolute right or wrong. Shintoists acknowledge that nobody is perfect. They view humans as fundamentally good, with the evils of the world caused by
troublesome spirits (kami).

It provides a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past. The customs and values of Shinto are inseparable from those of Japanese culture.

Practices and Rituals
Central to the Shinto tradition is the concept of purity. There are daily traditional Shinto practices and rituals and many that happen at various shrines across Japan.

One of the main practices of Shinto faith is “omairi” which means venerable participation, done best by visiting Shinto shrines throughout Japan. When visiting a shrine, one must bow respectfully before entering, then show respect by cleaning oneself with water at one of many handwashing stations.

Many of the Shinto rituals are to keep away the evil spirits. Misogi Hari is a daily ritual performed at the shrines. It involves purifying oneself by ritual use of water while reciting prayers.

Shinto
Mythology
Early Japanese myths emphasize harmony with nature and maintaining the balance between the human and natural world. The most popular deity in Japan is the Goddess Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. She is protector of Japan and is worshipped at Ise
(left), the most important shrine in Japan. From her are descended all the gods, the emperor and the Japanese people.

The
Divine StateIn Shinto, human beings are believed to be born pure, with a gentle and clear disposition. To be pure is to approach godliness; indeed it is to become one with the state of the divine. It is Shinto's prayer, Shinto's heart, to return to that original human state, and live a daily life which is at one with the kami, indigenous folk deities of Japan.

Shinto
Shrines and Festivals:Shinto shrines are regarded as the spiritual home of the Japanese. They are dedicated to the kami. A Shintu shrines is usually within a sacred grove, as reverence for Nature forms an important part of the Shinto tradition. The shrine is approached through a gateway called a
torii, signifying entrance to a sacred space. Festivals to
honor the folk deities, called ‘matsuri’, take place at the shrines, involving young and old.

Purity,
Washing, Cleansing
One important aspect of Shintoism is purity. Shintos believe that all humans are born pure and that humans collect “badness” over time. The human can get rid of the impurity in their life through purifying rituals. The most common purifying agents are water and salt.

The purification takes place at the beginning of the ceremony when the hands and face are washed. Many Shintos perform these purification in large groups, especially at the beginning of a
new year.

Misogi Hari is a daily ritual performed at the shrines. It involves purifying oneself by ritual use of water while reciting prayers. When visiting a shrine, one must bow respectfully before entering, then show respect by cleaning oneself with water at one of many hand washing stations.

“A single sincere prayer moves heaven.
You will surely realize the divine presence of heaven through a sincere prayer.”
- Shinto Wisdom

Weddings
The traditional Shinto wedding ceremony is a private, formal event, usually attended by the immediate family and closest friends of the couple. The ceremony symbolizes both the union of two people and the joining of two families.
In the traditional "san san kudo" or "three times three" ceremony, the couple exchange cups of sake. Similar cups of sake are exchanged between members of the families to signify the union. Following these exchanges, the couple offer twigs of the "Sakaki" sacred tree in worship to the gods.

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Confucianism, also known as Ruism, is
described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a
humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or
simply a way of life. Confucianism developed from what was
later called the Hundred Schools of Thought from the
teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479
BCE).

In the late twentieth century
Confucian work ethic has been credited with the rise of the
East Asian economy. With particular emphasis on the
importance of the family and social harmony, rather than on
an otherworldly source of spiritual values, the core of
Confucianism is humanistic. Confucianism focuses on the
practical order that is given by a this-worldly awareness of
the Tian.

Confucian liturgy led by
Confucian priests or "sages of rites" to worship the gods in
public and ancestral Chinese temples is preferred in various
occasions, by Confucian religious groups and for civil
religious rites, over Taoist or popular ritual.

Gates of the wénmiào of Datong,
Shanxi.I Ching or
Classic of Change or Book of Changes, generally
held to be the earliest of the classics, shows a
metaphysical vision which combines divinatory art with
numerological technique and ethical insight; philosophy of
change sees cosmos as interaction between the two energies
yin and yang, universe always shows organismic unity and
dynamism.

Unlike Christianity,
Confucianism is technically not a religion. But it does
share the Christian approach of loving others. In fact, that
is the foundation of the philosophy. Confucianism is based
entirely on kindness, mutual respect and an appreciation for
character virtues. It is founded on the belief that society
can flourish only when people learn to interact positively
with each other.

"When Christianity first came to
the British Isles, it took on a distinctly Celtic flavor,
characterized by a continued reverence for Nature as the
face of the Divine.
The One God spoke simply in the solitudes of wind and
woodland, sea-wave and mountaintop... and for centuries, the
old Gods and Goddesses – the many faces of The One -
continued to have a place in the hearts and holy days of the
people." from
ceilede.co.uk

The
Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, immigrating
from Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands on seven great
ocean-going canoes and navigating by the stars and ocean
currents around 800 years ago. This event was known as the
"Great Fleet". When they first sighted the land, it was
shrouded in cloud, hence the original name of Aotearoa “Land
of the long white cloud”.

Māori consider all things in the natural world to have
mauri (life force) and wairua (a spiritual
dimension). Respect for the spiritual integrity of the
environment and the atua (god) that created it will
ensure that the environment (taonga) can be protected
and passed on to succeeding generations. They view the land
and environment as a living system infused with
spirituality.

Māori view themselves as an integral part of the natural
world. The spiritual beliefs held by Māori link their
culture to their original parents Papa-tu-a nuku (Earth
mother) and Ranganui (Sky father) as part of a complete
living system.

The Maori have a rich culture and spirituality, steeped in
tradition and legend. Legend is passed down through the
generations by story telling - stories that tell of the
creation of the islands of New Zealand and much more. Their
spirituality is deeply linked with the land and sea, from
which their food source is harvested.

Maori people define themselves by their tribe, or iwi.
Family, or whanau, is very important within the Maori
culture, and encompasses immediate family, in-laws and all
those connected by blood ties.
Māori elders, the Kaumatua, have many important roles
in their families and tribes, including preserving
traditions and knowledge, providing leadership, and
nurturing the younger generations.

Maori Meeting House

Maraes, (communal villages where the Maori people meet),
provide a focus for social, cultural and spiritual life
within the Maori community. The Marae includes a wharenui
(meeting house) and wharekai (dining room).

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professional website!) We invite you to make an end-of-the-year donation
of $10 or more.

Quakers believe that every person is loved and guided by
God. They affirm that “there is that of God in everyone.”
Everyone can know God in a direct relationship.

Many Quakers consider themselves Christian and some do not.
Many other Quakers draw spiritual sustenance from various
religious traditions, such as Buddhism, Judaism, Islam,
Hinduism, and the nature religions.

Quaker worship is based on silent waiting. In this living
silence, we listen for the still, small voice that comes
from God through the Inward Light. During silent worship,
anyone —adult or child—may feel inspired to give vocal
ministry (speak out of the silence).

Quakers have noticed that certain values (“testimonies”)
seem to arise consistently when we try to stay close to the
guidance of the Inward Teacher. Some commonly recognized
testimonies include peace, integrity, equality, simplicity,
community, and care for the earth.

Christianity is the second major religion that celebrates One God. It has nearly 2 billion adherents worldwide. The religion is a celebration of both the life and death of the Wayshower Jesus of Nazareth, said to be the son of God. His message included forgiveness, love of one's neighbor, the importance of inner as well as outer observance of spiritual law. Jesus is also said to have performed miracles such as walking on water, healing the sick, and restoring the dead to life. He had twelve key disciples during his life.

The earliest Christians were converts from Judaism who believed that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah who would usher in God's kingdom on Earth.

The core Christian scripture is the Bible, made up of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) which recounts the story of the Jews and the New Testament, written in Greek by Jesus' followers. Included are the four Gospels which tell of the Holy Family, the Acts of Jesus and his apostles, The Epistles which interpret the new faith and provide counsel to converts, and The Revelation with prophecies about the messiah's return and the day of judgment.

Candles often represent The Light Within

An important symbol associated with Jesus
is Light. "I Am The Light of the World" The Christ Consciousness is a reflection of this light within, being tuned into the soul, the good, kind, loving, sharing part of each person.
.

May Focus:

Egyptian

Spiritual Traditions

The Great Sphinx of Giza

The State
religion of Egypt is Islam, with approximately 88% of the
population professing the Muslim faith (mainly Sunni). The
greatest innovation in Islam came out of Egypt, which was
Sufism, the mystical Islamic belief and practice in which
Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge
through direct personal experience of God. Many know of it
through the Persian poet Rumi who practiced Sufism in the 13
th Century.

As the cradle
of civilization, the area now known as Egypt has a rich
history of spirituality that differs from the present
religious picture. Khemitology addressed the study of
ancient Khemit, the name the indigenous and the ancients
used to describe Egypt, or the “Black Land”, named for the
rich, dark alluvial soil that the Nile nourished its banks
with during its annual flooding each summer. Flooding of the
Nile was a much celebrated event, as it was responsible for
the abundance of food supplied from a rich agriculture, and
symbolized fertility of all things.

There is
evidence of a sophisticated civilization that lived in
Khemit from 10,000 to 65,000 years or more ago, whose
self-awareness and deep resonance with nature enabled them
to develop devices and advanced technologies that mystify us
today. The people of ancient Khemit were the original 42
tribes of Africa who, recognizing their connectedness to all
that is, considered themselves equal in every way. People we
now refer to as Hebrews, Tibetans, Russians, Europeans and
the many tribes of our Black African Nations, were all,
according to the indigenous tradition, originally tribes of
ancient Khemit.

These were a
highly advanced people, who were capable of great feats of
manifestation, alchemy, and trans-dimensional journeying.
They had no need of a written or oral language, or the
confines of labels, and lived peacefully and naturally with
the rhythms, energies and frequencies of their environment
and the cosmos.

-
The evolution of religion and spirituality as well as
mathematics, astronomy, astrology, and concepts of the
chakras all had their origins in ancient Egypt and were
spread to various parts of the world and transformed by
civilizations over time. The Khemit School of Mysticism
holds that long cycles of transformation (4,000 – 6,000
years) affected consciousness on the planet; and that the
Age of Taurus (Hanut) (approx, 2,000 years beginning around
4,500 BC) was a period that marked the Fall into Separation
and matter, good and evil, patriarchy, divide and conquer,
and the fear of death.

According to
one description of astrological ages, The Age of Aries
ushered in efforts to replace polytheism with monotheism.
The earliest known attempt was by the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten,
who, in about 1350 BC, decreed the Sun God Aten to be the
supreme deity. After his death, however, power reverted to
the original polytheistic priests, who re-established the
old religion.
The Khemit School is researching the possibility that
we are again ascending in an arc toward greater
enlightenment after a 6,000 year period of darkness. Mass
consciousness and spiritual senses are rising in the Age of
Aquarius but will not be out of total darkness again until
we reach the age of Scorpio (6,000 years). However, the
Khemit School of Mysticism believes that we can jump into a
new cycle, individuals having the choice to evolve at any
time.
References: From Light Into Darkness and Land of Osiris by
Stephen S. Mehler.

Egyptian
Symbols. There are several “transformational” symbols
arising from Egyptian (Khemitian) sources, meaning that
later civilizations interpreted them based on their history
and wisdom. The Ankh is perhaps the most well known
symbol in Egyptian spirituality. It represents the Key of
Life and is sometimes called the Knot of Isis. Its key-like
shape includes both feminine and masculine spirituality. The
circular head represents the womb, or Life born of sky or
Spirit. The vertical portion is Spirit that connects sky to
the earth. The horizontal midline represents wings
connecting earth to matter. Source: Khemitology.com

An ankh was
often carried by Egyptians as an amulet, either alone, or in
connection with two other hieroglyphs that mean "strength"
and "health." In Egyptian art, gods were sometimes portrayed
touching a mortal with an ankh, symbolizing conception, or
conferring the gift of life on a dead person's mummy. Its
key-like shape encourages the belief that it unlocks the
gates of death, and it is viewed this way by the modern
Rosicrucians and other hermetic orders. Coptic Christians
have used it as a symbol of life after death.
[1]source: www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ankh

The
Eye of Horus. Horus was an Egyptian sky god whose eyes
were said to be the sun and the moon. However, he soon
became strongly associated with the sun (and the sun god
"Ra, who is Horus of the two horizons", while Thoth was
associated with the moon.) An ancient myth describes a
battle between Horus and Set in which Horus´ right eye was
torn out. Thoth magically restored Horus´ eye, at which
point it was given the name "Wadjet", meaning "whole" or
"healthy". The myth relates to the waxing and waning of the
moon during which the moon appears to have been torn out of
the sky before being restored once every lunar month. Horus
served many functions among the Egyptians, most notably
being a god of the sky, war and hunting, and later became
associated with the pharaoh.

Khemitologists assert that ancient Egyptians did not worship
many gods but revered the many forms, senses and powers of
God. The Wadjet or all-seeing eye is also a symbol of all
the aspects of Deity or 360 neters (natures, senses,
powers). There was once a time in pre-recorded history that
human beings possessed all 360 Neters; and they were able to
navigate magnetically. The belief is that “all are light,
expressing themselves through frequencies.”

The
Egyptian Beetle or Scarab is a symbol of rebirth and
regeneration; also of the right and left hemispheres of the
brain. In ancient Egyptian religion, the sun god Ra is seen
to roll across the sky each day, transforming bodies and
souls. Beetles of the Scarabaeidae family (dung beetle) roll
dung into a ball as food and as a brood chamber in which to
lay eggs; this way, the larvae hatch and are immediately
surrounded by food. For these reasons the scarab was seen as
a symbol of this heavenly cycle and of the idea of rebirth
or regeneration. The Egyptian god Khepri or Kheper, Ra as
the rising sun, was often depicted as a scarab beetle or as
a scarab beetle-headed man. The ancient Egyptians believed
that Khepri renewed the sun every day before rolling it
above the horizon, then carried it through the other world
after sunset, only to renew it, again, the next day.

The Mayan
civilization arose in Mesoamerica around 250 AD, influenced
by the culture and religion of the Olmecs. The Mayan urban
culture especially flourished until about 900 AD, but
continued to thrive in various places until the Spanish
conquest.

Mayan
religion was characterized by the worship of nature gods
(especially the gods of sun, rain and corn), a priestly
class, the importance of astronomy and astrology, rituals of
human sacrifice, and the building of elaborate pyramidical
temples.

The main Gods (which have a benevolent side and a malevolent
side) are Itzamna (god of fire and hearth), Kukulcan, the
Feathered Serpent and Bolon Tzacab, a god of royal descent.

To the Maya, science and religion were one and the same. The
Maya developed an impressive system of mathematics and
astronomy, which was intimately related to religious
rituals. Their mathematical achievements included positional
notation and the use of zero; in astronomy, they accurately
calculated a solar year, compiled precise tables of
positions for the Moon and Venus, and were able to predict
solar eclipses.

The Mayan calendar was very advanced, and consisted of a
solar year of 365 days. It was divided into 18 months of 20
days each, followed by a five-day period that was highly
unlucky. There was also a 260-day sacred year (tzolkin),
divided into days named by the combination of 13 numbers and
20 names.

The
Maya practiced a form of divination that centered on their
elaborate calendar system and extensive knowledge of
astronomy. It was the job of the priests to discern lucky
days from unlucky ones, and advising the rulers on the best
days to plant, harvest, wage war, etc. They were especially
interested in the movements of the planet Venus — the Maya
rulers scheduled wars to coordinate with its rise in the
heavens.

Some aspects of Mayan religion survive today among several
million Mayan Indians of Mexico and Central America, who
practice a combination of traditional religion and Roman
Catholicism. Primarily Guatemala cities have ceremonial
centers, with the majority of the Maya living a rural,
agricultural life around the cities.

About a million
people worldwide follow the Rasta movement and prefer to not
be referred to Rastafarians as they reject a formal religion
category. Founded in the slums of Jamaica in the 1920’s and
1930’s, it is considered a “new” religion.

The founder
of Rastafarism is Martin Garvey, a black Jamaican who taught
in the 1920’s and is considered the second John the Baptist.
The movement is named for Ras Tafari Makonnen, who was
crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia in 1930.
Selassie is considered a God on Earth by his followers.

One of the
holidays cerebrated yearly is Nov.2, when the Emperor was
crowned. Rastafarians believe in the Judeo-Christian God,
whom they call Jah. In general, Rastafarian beliefs are
based in Judaism and Christianity, with an emphasis on Old
Testament laws and prophecies and the Book of Revelation.

Rastafarians
do not believe in an afterlife, but instead look to Africa
(called "Zion") as a heaven on earth. True Rasta’s are
believed to be immortal, both physically and spiritually, a
concept called "everliving." An important Rastafarian
concept is "I and I," which is said instead of "you and I."
It emphasizes the oneness between humanity and God as well
as the equality of all humans.

One
of the most famous Rastas is Bob Marley with his worldwide
presence of reggae music. One of the beliefs of the Rasta
lifestyle is Tal, a dietary commitment to the most natural
of foods and for some, is close to veganism.

Asatru
is the modern revival of the pre-Christian Nordic religion
as described in the Norse epic Eddas. Today, there are small
groups of Asatru adherents throughout Scandinavia and North
America. Ancient Norse paganism and modern Asatru are
polytheistic, belief in more than one God.

In the Viking
Age (9th-11th century), Asatru followers believe in an
afterlife based on virtuous or non-virtuous life. They also
believe in rebirth with the family line. In modern times,
they are quick to state that they are not overly concerned
with the afterlife and live in the here and now.

Communities
of Asatru are called Kindreds, Hearths, or Garths. Priests
are call Gothi and priestesses Gythia. A central Asatru
ritual is a blot which means sacrifice and followers offer
mead, beer, or cider to the gods. Another major practice is
sumbel, a ritual toast in three rounds: the first round is
to the Gods, second round to ancestors, and the third round
is open. One Asatru holiday that we are all familiar with
is Yule which starts on the Winter Solstice and lasts for 13
days.

In place of a
list of commandments, followers of Asatru try to follow
these “Nine Noble Virtues:

Jainism is an ancient religion
originating from India that is older than Hinduism. It
teaches that the way to liberation and bliss is to live
lives of harmlessness and renunciation. Most Jains live in
India, and according to the 2001 Census of India there were
around 4.2 million living there.

The essence of Jainism is
concern for the welfare of every being in the universe and
for the health of the universe itself.

Mahatma Gandhi was greatly
influenced by Jainism. Jain principles that he adopted in
his life were asceticism, compassion for all forms of life,
the importance of vows for self-discipline, vegetarianism,
fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance among
people of different creeds.

Season for Nonviolence:
(January 30 - April 4) is a national 64-day educational,
media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating
that non-violence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and
empower our lives and our communities. Celebrated in the
United States, it goes from the anniversary of the death of
Gandhi to the anniversary of the death of Martin Luther
King.

Beliefs:

-Jains
believe that animals and plants, as well as human beings,
contain living souls. Each of these souls is considered of
equal value and should be treated with respect and
compassion.

-Jains are strict vegetarians and live in a way that
minimizes their use of the world's resources.

-Jains believe in reincarnation and seek to attain ultimate
liberation - which means escaping the continuous cycle of
birth, death and rebirth so that the immortal soul lives for
ever in a state of bliss.

-Liberation is achieved by eliminating all karma from the
soul.
-Jainism is a religion of self-help.
-There are no gods or spiritual beings that will help human
beings.

-The
three guiding principles of Jainism, the 'three
jewels', are right belief, right knowledge and right
conduct.

-The
supreme principle of Jainistic living is non violence
(ahimsa). This is one of the 5 mahavratas (the 5 great
vows). The other mahavratas are non-attachment to
possessions, not lying, not stealing, and sexual restraint
(with celibacy as the ideal).

-Mahavira is regarded as the man who gave Jainism its
present-day form.

-The texts containing the teachings of Mahavira are called
the Agamas.

-Jains are divided into two major sects; the Digambara
(meaning "sky clad") sect and the Svetambara (meaning "white
clad") sect.
- Jainism has no priests. Its professional religious people
are monks and nuns, who lead strict and ascetic lives.

Join us for special
holiday celebration of the Solstice.
Be part of the solution for lasting Peace on Earth.
Get insights into your success in 2016.

Free teleconference: 712-432-0140, pin 167201#
Be the bridge that brings
unity and love to the world.

Don't let the drama of
the season steal your light, let's expand it and share it
with everyone, one smile at a time!!
Qualities of a Wayshower

November Focus:UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
Spiritual Tradition

Unitarians Universalists are a congregation of people with
diverse religious backgrounds and a wide range of beliefs.
Theme-based ministry honors their theological diversity
while creating language, symbols, and practices that can be
shared by all. Practitioners draw inspiration and insight
from many sources – including humanist teachings embracing
scientific reason as well as spiritual beliefs;
earth-centered traditions celebrating the sacred circle of
life and the harmony with nature; Jewish and Christian
teachings calling us to respond to God’s love by loving our
neighbors as ourselves.

Unitarian
Universalism believe that religious wisdom is ever changing.
They celebrate the unfolding truths known to teachers,
prophets, and sages throughout the ages. They believe in
the importance of individual belief and honor differences of
opinion, expression, and practice.

Seven Principles
and Purposes:

1) The inherent worth
and dignity of every person

2) Justice, equity and
compassion in human relations

3) Acceptance of one
another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our
congregations

4) A free and
responsible search for truth and meaning

5) The right of
conscience and the use of the democratic process within our
congregations and in society at large

6) The goal of world
community with peace, liberty and justice for all

7) Respect for the
interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

History

Christians
in the first centuries of the Christian era held a variety
of beliefs concerning the nature of Jesus. The Council of
Nicea declared the doctrine of the Trinity – God as Father,
Son and Holy Ghost – and denounced all those who believed
differently as heretics. In the 16th century,
Christian humanists in Poland and Transylvania studied the
Bible closely and affirmed the unity or oneness of God.
Hence they acquired the name
“Unitarian.”

The 16th
century Unitarians advocated religious freedom for others.
Today Unitarian Universalists are determined to follow their
own convictions and embrace tolerance as a central
principle.

In the 17th
century, reformers in Europe and America in researching the
Bible believed that the concept of hell had been grossly
misinterpreted. They found in their hearts and in the
Biblical references an unconditionally loving God. They
believed that God would grant salvation to all human beings.
They called themselves
Universalists.

Each UU
congregation is part of a heritage going back hundreds of
years to the pioneering Massachusetts settlers and founders
of the republic. Well-known Unitarians and Universalists
include John Adams, Clara Barton, Oliver Wendell Holmes,
Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Susan B. Anthony,
and Adlai Stevenson.

In
continuity with Unitarian and Universalist forebears, UU
hold fast to the belief in the inherent worth and dignity of
every person. They are one of the present-day churches that
welcome individuals of many religious practices and life
choices including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
queer individuals (LGBTQ)

More than
1000 congregations in the United States belong to the
Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) of Congregations
with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. The oldest
congregations are in Romania. Other locations include India,
Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France, great
Britain, Canad, Australia, Nigeria, South Africa, the
Philippines and Japan.

Shalom (shah-LOHM) Literally, means “Peace.”
It is a way of saying "hello" or "goodbye" to friends,
family, etc.

Mazel Tov (MAH-zl TAWV) literally means, “Good
luck!”
This is the traditional way of expressing congratulations.
It can be used to congratulate someone for getting a new
job, graduating from college, or any other happy event. It
should not be used to wish someone luck in the future.
Rather, it is an expression of pleasure at the good luck
someone has already had.

Yasher koach (YAH-shehyr KOH-ahkh) Literally, means “Straight
strength.” Figuratively, “May you have strength, or
may your strength be increased.”
It is a way of congratulating someone for performing a good
deed. In essence, you are wishing this person the strength
to continue doing this good thing. It is most commonly used
in synagogue, to congratulate someone after he or she has
participated in some aspect of the service.

Shabbat Shalom (shah-BAHT shah-LOHM) means, “Sabbath
Peace or peaceful Sabbath.”
This is an appropriate greeting at any time on Shabbat,
although it is most commonly used at the end of a shabbat
service.

L'Shanah Tovah (li-SHAH-nuh TOH-vuh) meaning - “A
good year.”
It is a common greeting during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New
Year.

The people of the Canadian Arctic are known
as the Inuit. They used to be called Eskimos, which came
from a Native American word for 'eater of raw meat'. Now the
Arctic people are officially known as the Inuit, which means
'the people', or singularly, Inuk, which means 'the person'.

The Inuit were the last native people to
arrive in North America. All the good land to the south was
already occupied by hostile Indians so they settled in the
Arctic. Nobody else wanted it because it was one of the most
extreme climates in the world. But the Inuit were masters at
adapting to sustain their people over thousands of years.

The Inuit lived in an area comprising a large
part of northern Earth, including Northern Canada, Alaska,
Greenland, and Siberia.

The languages of the Inuit can be divided
into many different languages and dialects. However, all of
the Inuit languages come from one main language family: the
Inuit-Aleut, also known as the Eskimaleut language family.

The Inuit have a distinct culture and
appearance from other First Peoples groups in Canada, which
really set them apart. Historically, the Canadian Inuit were
divided into eight main groups: Labrador Inuit, Ungava or
New Quebec Inuit, Baffin Island, Igloolik, Caribou, Netsilik,
Copper and Western Arctic Inuit.
_______________________________

The traditional Inuit (Eskimo) culture
is similar to those found in other circumpolar regions:
Northern Russia and the Northern Scandinavian countries.
Life has been precarious; there are the double challenges of
the cold, and the continual threat of starvation. (The
popular name for the Inuit, "Eskimo", is not used by the
Inuit.).

Their religious belief is grounded in the
belief that anua (souls) exist in all people and
animals. Individuals, families and the tribe must follow a
complex system of taboos to assure that animals will
continue to make themselves available to the hunters. Many
rituals and ceremonies are performed before and after
hunting expeditions to assure hunting success.

An underwater Goddess Sedna or
Takanaluk is in charge of the sea mammals. She is part
human and part fish. She observes how closely the tribe
obeys the taboos and releases her animals to the hunters
accordingly. There is an corresponding array of deities who
release land mammals; these are Keepers or Masters,
one for each species.

The Angakut or Shaman is the spiritual
leader of each tribe. He is able to interpret the causes of
sickness or lack of hunting success; he can determine the
individual or family responsible and isolate the broken
taboo. In a manner similar to Shamans in may other cultures,
he enters a trance with the aid of drum beating and
chanting. This allows his soul to leave his body and
traverse great distances to determine the causes of sickness
and other community problems.

Traditional Inuit
beliefs are a form of animism, according to which all
objects and living things or beings have a spirit. The
belief is that all things happen though the involvement of
some spirit. Spirits can affect people's lives and can be
controlled by magical charms and talismans.

Various taboos were observed to make sure
that animal spirits were not offended, and when animals were
killed for food,
it was done according to certain rituals. Communal rites
centered on preparation for the hunt
as this was the most important activity for survival in a
hostile environment.

Although anyone with the appropriate charms
or amulets
could have some control over these spirits,
the person best equipped to control spirits was the shaman -
the central religious figure in traditional Inuit culture.
His functions included blessing the hunt, treating sickness,
and providing advice in times of crisis.

Nine-pointed
Star

A simple
nine-pointed star is generally used by Baha'is as a symbol of
their Faith. The number nine has special significance in the
Baha'i Revelation.

The word "Baha" (Arabic for “Glory”) corresponds
to the number nine in the Arabic system of numerology, known
as the Abjad system. Nine years after the announcement of
the Bab in Shiraz, Baha’u’llah received the intimation of
His mission in the dungeon in Tehran.

Nine, as the highest single-digit number, symbolizes
completeness. As the Baha'i Faith claims to be the fulfillment
of the expectations of all prior religions, this symbol, as
used, for example, in nine-sided Baha'i Houses of Worship,
reflects that sense of fulfillment and completeness.

Core Beliefs

The principle of
the oneness of humankind
is the pivot around which all the teachings of Baha'u'llah
revolve.

Baha'u'llah taught that humanity, after a long and turbulent
adolescence,
is at last reaching a stage of maturity in which unity in a
global
and just society finally can be established.

To this end, the Baha'i Faith prescribes laws of personal
morality and behavior, as well as social laws and principles,
to establish the oneness of humanity.

Angels in
Training

"Array
yourselves in the perfection of divine virtues.
I hope you may be quickened and vivified by the breaths of the
Holy Spirit.
Then shall ye indeed become the angels of heaven whom Christ
promised
would appear in this Day to gather the harvest of divine
planting."

'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal
Peace, p. 7

Baha'is Believe" We must investigate truth for ourselves, without
preconceptions.
One of the main sources of conflict in the world today
is the fact that many people blindly and uncritically
follow various traditions, movements, and opinions.
Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes the fundamental
obligation
of human beings to acquire knowledge
with their "own eyes and not through the eyes of
others."
http://www.bahai.org

Humanity is understood to be in
a process of collective evolution, and the need of the
present time is for the gradual establishment of world
peace, justice and unity on a global scale.

The Baha’i religion does not force its new converts to
reject their former beliefs and doctrines in order to
embrace the tenets of the Baha’i faith. One of the goals of
the Baha’i religion is the unity of all religions and the
preservation of all that is good from all world religions.

The Baha’is see the central figures in other religions, such
as Buddha and Christ, as manifestations of the same Absolute
Reality, so new converts to Baha’i have no reason to reject
these personages.

----------------------

"By God, verily the Lord of Hosts is your support, the
angels of heaven your assistance,
the Holy Spirit your companion and the Center of the
Covenant your helper."
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í World Faith, p 362)

Ways to
Promote Unity

Recognize
the essential nobility of the human soul - many of
the
symptoms of racism are a result of either projecting or
internalizing
feelings of unworthiness - when we like
ourselves, we fear less need to hate or fear others;

Develop a personal awareness of the Oneness of Humanity
as a spiritual and scientific reality;

Read the Holy Writings of the world's religions - including
the Bible, Koran
and the Baha'i writings - and pray for guidance every day.

Backbiting

The
founder enjoined his followers to “regard
backbiting as grievous error,
and keep … aloof from its
dominion, inasmuch as
backbiting quenches the light of the
heart, and extinguishes the life of the soul.”

SIKH Religion
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion which originated during the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in the Sanskrit words meaning “disciple or student.”

Beliefs

The goal of every Sikh is to build a close, loving relationship with God. Sikhs believe in a single formless God with many names who can be known through meditation. Similar to Islam whose followers believe in a single God who has 99 names.

The Mool Mantar, the first
hymn composed by Guru Nanak, is recited daily by many Sikhs. God’s name is Truth; He is the Creator; He is without fear; He is without hate; He is beyond time (immortal); He is beyond birth and death; He is self-existent.

Sikhs believe in samsara (the repetitive cycle of birth, life and death), karma (accumulated sum of one’s good and bed deeds, and the belief of a rebirth following death. Their beliefs are similar to Hinduism.

Sikhs reject the caste system of the Hindu religion. They believe that everyone has equal status in the eyes of God. This principle permeates all Sikh beliefs, behaviors and rituals.

May Focus:
Wiccan
Spiritual Tradition

Celtic Trinity Knot of
Protection

The
Wiccan religion, also known as "The Craft," "Wicca,"
"Benevolent Witchcraft," and "The Old Religion" is a
diverse and decentralized religion that is part of
contemporary Paganism. Today, there are thousands of
individuals and groups practicing various forms of the
Wiccan religion and other Pagan paths throughout the
United States, Canada and around the world.

Wicca is
a belief system and way of life based upon pre-Christian
traditions originating in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Wicca is a very peaceful, harmonious and balance way of
life which promotes oneness with the divine and all
which exists.

Wiccans
believe that the spirit of the One, Goddess and God
exist in all things. This means that man must treat “all
things” of the Earth as aspects of the divine. Wiccans
learn from and revere the gift of nature from divine
creation by celebrating the cycles of the sun, moon and
seasons.

They revere the spirits of the elements of Earth, Air,
Fire and Water which combine to manifest all creation.
From these four elements, mankind can obtain insight to
the rhythms of nature and understand they are also the
rhythms of our own lives.

May the positive
energy of the Universe surround you,
bring to you peace to your mind,
love to your heart and calm to your spirit.

Celtic Tree of Life Wicca and witchcraft, while similar in many respects,
are not the same. One can be a “witch” without being a
Wiccan, just as a person can be a Christian, without
being a Baptist. Wiccan practice in ancient history was
known as the “Craft of the Wise” because most who
followed the path were in tune with the forces of
nature, had a knowledge of Herbs and medicines, gave
council and were valuable parts of the village and
community as Shamanic healers and leaders. To be a
“witch” is to be a healer, a teacher, a seeker, a giver
and a protector of all things. Wicca might best be
described as a modern religion, based on ancient
witchcraft traditions. Because witches have been
persecuted for so many centuries, modern-day Wiccans
believe in religious freedom first! They do not look at
their path as the only way to achieve spirituality, but
as one path among many.

Before you speak, let your
words pass through three gates:
At the first gate, ask yourself, “Is it true?”
At the second gate, ask, “Is it necessary?”
At the third gate, ask, “Is it kind?

Wiccan Spiritual
Practices - Wiccans and other Pagans also honor the
Elements of Nature -- Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit --
and their associated directions -- North, East, South,
West, Center -- in the sacred Circles where rituals are
held. Rituals usually include a combination of
meditation, invocations, movement, music, and the use of
magical tools.
As part of their spiritual practice, many Wiccans and
other Pagans develop their intuitive abilities and
practice magic, directing psychic energy for particular
healing and helping purposes. In working magic, Wiccans
are to adhere to the Wiccan Rede, which is the central
ethical law of the religion: "And it harm none, do what
you will." Most Wiccans acknowledge that whatever
magical force is sent out returns magnified to the
sender.

Celtic
Tree of Life Symbol .

2-Minute
House Magic for Spring

1. Wash your front door with
warm water and a little essential oil of spearmint to
refresh the energy and welcome in wealth.

2. Bless a candy dish of
chocolate eggs with the energy of new beginnings and
place it on a coffee table or counter.

3. Mist with rosewater into
which you’ve added honeysuckle flower essence to
activate luck and get the energy moving.

Magic
is not always serious or solemn.
It is a joyous celebration and merging with the
life-force.
Scott Cunningham, American author on Wiccan and Pagan
rituals

April Focus:

Tarahumara

Spiritual Tradition

Tarahumara family at Easter

HISTORY

The
Tarahumara are a Native American people of northwestern
Mexico who are renowned for their long-distance running
ability. The ancestors of the Tarahumara Indians may
have arrived from Asia, crossing the Bering Strait,
approximately 20,000 years ago. When the Spanish
explorers arrived in Mexico in the 16th century, these
indigenous tribe retreated to the high sierras and
canyons of the Sierra Madre Occidental to protect
themselves from being forced to work in the mines for
the invading Spaniards.

Most of the approximately 100,000 people of the
Tarahumara still live in relative isolation and practice
a traditional lifestyle, inhabiting natural shelters
like caves, under cliffs and in small cabins, living on
a mostly plant-based diet.

RUNNERS

The name
TARAHUMARA means “where the night is the day of the
moon.” The Indians refer to themselves as “Raramuri,”
which means “runners on foot” or “those who run fast.”
These extraordinary endurance runners run in huarache
sandals and maintain a long-distance running tradition
as part of their ceremonial traditions and community
competitions. ”

To be a true “raramuri” you must have time and care for
each other, and to love people more than goods.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND RITUAL

The
Tarahumara religion is a mixture of Roman Catholicism
Christianity and indigenous customs. The principle
deities are “our Father” and “Our Mother” associated
with the sun and the moon respectively. In many
communities, the Christian God and the Virgin Mary have
been assimilated to these deities.

Tarahumaras still maintain a belief that death occurs
when people’s souls permanently abandon their bodies.
They believe that the soul ascends a series of heavens,
is reincarnated after each death, and after three lives
becomes a moth on earth, representing the final
existence of the soul.

They believe in a simple law called the “attitude of
humble silence,” which is love, humility, hope, & joy.

RITUALS AND COMMUNITY PRACTICES
Their mythical and religious festivities are made up of
dances. One of their prominent dances is the “Matachine”
dance, a lively, colorful dance performed by 8-12
couples. To them dancing is a prayer. By dancing, they
seek forgiveness, and give thanks.

A shaman (spiritual guide or doctor -- “owiruame” --is
the guardian of all social traditions of the people. The
Tarahumara perform rituals and ceremonies at their homes
to cure ailments, to promote good health in people,
livestock and crops, and to send offerings to their
deities and the dead. Two prominent religious events are
the Easter celebration (Semana Santa) and the Fiesta
Guadalupana in December.

The Tarahumara consider illnesses to be of two types:
those that afflict people’s bodies and those that
afflict their souls. Plant medicines are used for the
former. Illnesses of the soul requires intervention of
the shamans who rely on their dreams to discover the
causes of illness.

Tibetan
Buddhism, the teaching of the Buddha as practiced and
taught in Tibet, is at last becoming known to the world.
Because of Tibet’s secluded location, the Buddhist
tradition developed there for fourteen centuries in
relative isolation.
link

Change, Inner Peace,
World Peace

Global change must come from
individuals – not large organisations like the United
Nations.
We have an opportunity and a responsibility to make a
small contribution
to a better and more compassionate world.
Firstly the individual must start with their own inner
peace,
then extend this to the family, then to the community.

World peace must come from inner peace

-Dalai Lama

References The
Tibetan Book of the Dead by Padma Sambhava (Compiler),Robert
Thurman (Translator), et al
amazon.com

Prayer
Flags decorate Tibetan monasteries, houses and even
mountain passes. It is believed that the special
blessing power of the mantras printed on them is spread
all over the world by the wind. Traditionally, prayer
flags have a combination of mantras, special prayers and
auspicious symbols printed on them. Prayer flags are not
only strung on ropes to hang between two poles, they can
also be hung like a flag from one pole. Usually, the
flags come in five different colors: blue corresponds
with the sky, white with clouds, red with fire, green
with water and yellow with earth.

Prayer Wheels are another typical Tibetan
phenomena. They are usually filled with mantras, and
similar to prayer flags, it is taught that the power of
the mantras will spread when the wheel is turned. The
more mantras, the better. Prayer wheels come in many
variations; from handheld, like the one on the left, to
huge ones that require serious muscle power to set in
motion. They can be moved by hands, water or wind- with
this cool tool, even your hard disk can function as a
prayer wheel. They are also called Mani-wheels, as the
wheels usually contain the famous Tibetan mantra OM MANI
PADME HUM.

Karmapa
Dream Flag

The 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, well known for his visions and
prophesies, designed this flag from a vision that came
to him in a dream. He called it “Namkhyen Gyaldar
(Victorious Flag of Buddha’s Wisdom).” He proclaimed,
“Wherever this banner is flown the Dharma will
flourish.”

According to the outer meaning the blue represents the
sky or heaven. The yellow symbolizes the earth. The wave
symbolizes the Buddhadharma penetrating heaven and
earth.

According to the inner meaning the blue represents
vision and spiritual insight and the yellow symbolizes
our experience of the everyday world. The symmetry of
the wave pattern shows the interdependence of the
absolute and relative levels of reality.

According to the secret meaning, the blue symbolizes
emptiness-wisdom and the yellow represents compassionate
action. The wave is Mahamudra: the union of compassion
and wisdom- the ultimate realization of one’s true
nature.

The Four Dignities are mythical animals which represent
various aspects of the Bodhisattva attitude, like
strength, protection and cheerfulness.

Dragon
The Dragon thunders in the sky with the sound of
compassion that awakens us from delusion and increases
what we can know through hearing. Dragons have the power
of complete communication. Just as we do not see sound,
we do not see dragons -- at least not usually.
Displaying a dragon banner is said to protect one from
slander and enhances one's reputation. Associations:
main quality is power, dominance over the sea, and the
water element.

Tiger
The Tiger abides in the South, symbolizing unconditional
confidence, disciplined awareness, kindness and modesty.
It is relaxed yet energized; resting in a gentle state
of being that has a natural sense of satisfaction and
fulfillment, referring to the state of enlightenment.
Associations: main quality is confidence, air element.

Snow Lion
The Snow Lion resides in the East and represents
unconditional cheerfulness, a mind free of doubt, clear
and precise. It has a beauty and dignity resulting from
a body and mind that are synchronized. The Snow Lion has
a youthful, vibrant energy of goodness and a natural
sense of delight. Sometimes the throne of a Buddha is
depicted with eight Snowlions on it, in this case, they
represent the 8 main Bodhisattva-disciples of Buddha
Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha.
Associations: main quality is fearlessness, dominance
over mountains, and the earth element.

Garuda
The Garuda is daring and fearless and abides in the
north. With great strength and power it soars beyond
without holding back. It symbolizes freedom from hopes
and fears, the vast mind without reference point. It is
a powerful antidote to the negative influences of Nagas
(spirits) which can cause disease and all kinds of harm.
Associations: main quality is wisdom, dominance over the
sky, and the fire element.

Eight Auspicious Symbols
The set of Eight Auspicious Symbols is most popular in
Buddhist Tibet.

1. Right-Coiled White Conch Today the conch is
used in Tibetan Buddhism to call together religious
assemblies. During the actual practice of rituals, it is
used both as a musical instrument and as a container for
holy water

2. Precious Parasol The Precious Parasol
symbolizes the beneficial activities of keeping beings
from the harms of illness, harmful forces, obstacles and
so forth. It also represents the enjoyment of a feast of
benefit under its cool shade.

3. Victory Banner The Victory Banner represents
the victory of the Buddha's teachings over death,
ignorance, disharmony and all the negativities of this
world.

4. Golden Fishes The sea in Tibetan Buddhism is
associated with the world of suffering, the cycle of
samsara. The Golden Fish have been said to signify
fearlessness and happiness for they have complete
freedom in the water.

5. Dharma Wheel Golden Wheel or Dharma Wheel
symbolizes the auspiciousness of the turning of the
precious wheel of Buddha's doctrine, enabling beings to
experience the joy of wholesome deeds and liberation.

6. Endless Knot The Endless Knot is a geometric
diagram which symbolizes the nature of reality where
everything is interrelated and only exists as part of a
web of karma and its effect, having no beginning or end.

7. Lotus Flower The lotus flower symbolizes the
complete purification of body, speech and mind, and the
full blossoming of wholesome deeds in blissful
liberation. The roots of a lotus are in the mud, the
stem grows up through the water, and the heavily scented
flower lies above the water, basking in the sunlight.
This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the
soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the
waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of
enlightenment. Though there are other water plants that
bloom above the water, it is only the lotus which, owing
to the strength of its stem, regularly rises eight to
twelve inches above the surface.

8. Treasure Vase The Treasure Vase symbolizes an
endless rain of long life, wealth and prosperity and all
the benefits of this world and liberation. It is a sign
of the inexhaustible riches available in the Buddhist
teachings. Treasure Vases filled with saffron water are
found near the shrine offerings in a Tibetan Buddhist
temple, the water of which is used to purify offerings.

Join Wayshowers from around the world on
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February Focus:

Candomble

Spiritual Tradition

Candomble is an
African-Brazilian religion with around two million
followers. It is a combination of various beliefs. At
the core of the religion are traditional African beliefs
with additional elements of Christianity, particularly
of Catholicism. Candomble means “dance in honor of the
gods.” Accordingly, dance and music play important roles
in the religion.

At the center of Candomble is God or Oludumare. Deities
called “orixas” serve Oludumare (God). Orixas are
deified ancestors from recent or ancient history; they
are spirit gods that link humans to the spiritual world
and act as a protector. Each orixa is connected to a
force in nature including a certain food, animal, and
more. A person's personality is a reflection of their
orixa.

An
part of this African-Brazilian religion, followers
believe in one all-powerful god who is served by lesser
deities. Individual initiates have their personal
guiding deity, who acts as an inspiration and protector.
There is no concept of good or evil, only individual
destiny.

The moral code of Candomble is regulated by the Baba
Egum, who ensures the continuity of morals from one
generation to the next.

During major rituals (such as the sacred festival day in
honor of Omulu, a deity of life and death, priests and
priestesses disguise as Baba Egum. The worship takes
place in the form of dances and songs. Dances call the
orixa (spirits) to enter the body. A dancer enters a
trancelike condition and publicly acts out scenes from
the community life through dance. Amid chanting and
drumming, a crowd waits for the gods to come to them
from the spirit world.

Candomble
Rituals

Women play a significant role in Candomble religion.
Women, called “mothers of the holy one”, lead services
and train future priestesses. The sacred places for
followers of Candomble are the terreiro, or temples.
These structures have indoor and outdoor sections and
designated places for the gods. Worshippers enter the
terreiro in clean clothes. They also splash water on
themselves before entering so they clean themselves from
the impurity of the outside world.

New Year's celebrations include wearing all-white
garb, lighting candles and setting small boats loaded
with trinkets into the ocean, in offering to the sea
goddess Yemenja. At a ritual gathering, everyone is
encouraged to dress only in white, so as to respect the
Orixás, the African deities. Guests are prohibited from
bringing cameras to the ritual, as the worshippers
believe that when a photo is taken during a Candomblé
ritual, the camera captures a soul.

Twelve people who are the higher priests and
priestesses, and able to “receive” the gods, enter into
a trance-like state. They remain in the center of the
room, forming a circle and dancing to the beat of drums
and percussion Many practitioners believe that the
instruments are vested with healing powers and possessed
with axé force. When one receives a god, the priest’s
own spirit must leave the body in order to allow the god
to enter; so the priest is essentially possessed by the
god while in this trance-like state.

At various times throughout the hour, each of the
twelve priests begin to spin in wild circles, which
signal that they are about to receive a god. Once the
god “enters” the body, each person may react
differently. A priest or priestess can receive a god at
any age, as they are born with this capability. If one
of their parents is able to receive a god or goddess,
that child will most likely be born with the ability as
well, as it is passed down throughout families. Each
priest or priestess receives the same god during each
ritual, and the god whom they receive is either known at
the time of birth (in this case, it would be the same
god whom their parent received), or determined through a
fortune-telling practice called búzios, which is reading
of shells.

New Healing Webinar

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January Focus:
Shinto Spiritual Tradition

December Focus:

Christian

Spiritual Tradition

The Swedenborgian Church of North America

The Swedenborgian Church of North America is a community of faith based on the Bible as illuminated by the teachings of Emmanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) a Swedish scientist, inventor, and theologian who made significant discoveries in many of the natural sciences, including astronomy, anatomy, geology, and mineralogy.

This inclusive Christian denomination is a member of the National Council of Churches. It was instrumental in organizing the first Congress of World Religions, held in Chicago in 1893, and one of the first churches in the western world teaching that
salvation is an inner experience rather than acceptance of a particular doctrine.

For Swedenborgians, God is the Creator, the source of every positive human
quality and the very energy which is slowly leading humanity towards the creation of heaven on earth. The
essence of God is perfect love and wisdom which draws all people to heaven so that they would enjoy the fulfillment for which we were created.

“Welcome to a church where you hear an optimistic message. Our church affirms freedom of choice as we follow life’s path experiencing both good and evil. From stone to stone, we step to the truth we choose: feeding the good in our lives, loving the good in all people, acknowledging the living spirit that enlightens our experience.”

Dec 12, 2014

The first Swedenborgian church was organized in London in 1787. Swedenborg’s teachings were brought to America and a church was started in Baltimore in 1792. The Swedenborgian Church has since grown and spread throughout the world.

A forward-looking Christian denomination, the Swedenborgian Church was founded to help people be more open to the Lord’s presence and leading, to facilitate the spiritual well-being of people, and to increase awareness of the new age in which we live.

Since the beginning, The Swedenborgian Church has become a haven for seekers who share
Swedenborg’s quest for a religion that interconnects with all of life, and for a system that allows reasoned questioning of life’s deepest religious
issues. To this day, the Swedenborgian Church encourages inquiry, respect for differences, and acceptance of other traditions of life and religion.

At the core of Swedenborg’s thought is the understanding that
our purpose in this life is to progress
spiritually—to learn, to grow, to do good works, and, ultimately, to allow as much of God’s love as possible to enter into us and manifest through us.

Heaven and hell
are not rewards or punishments distributed on judgment day but the present inner experience we freely choose. We may choose to enjoy peace and openness, or to close ourselves in fear.
Life is an opportunity for learning and spiritual
growth. As we choose between giving and taking, loving and hating, right and wrong, we participate in the creation of our own spiritual character. This
spiritual self, or soul, is who we really are, and this is what lives forever.

Dec 19

"All my experience in
heaven bears witness to the fact that the divine nature that comes from the Lord, affects angels, and constitutes heaven, is love. In fact, all the people there are forms of love and thoughtfulness. They look indescribably beautiful. Love radiates from their faces, from their speech, from every detail of their behavior.

Further, there are surrounding auras of spiritual life that emanate from every
angel and from every spirit and envelop them. By means of these
auras one can recognize even from a distance the quality of the affections of their loves, since these auras flow out from the life of their affection and consequent thought—that is, from the life of their love and consequent faith. The auras that emanate from angels are so full of love that they touch the deepest reaches of life of the people they meet. I have been aware of them a number of times, and they have moved me deeply."

Helen
Keller, 1880-1968 was introduced to the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg by John Hitz, a longtime friend who was a member of the Church of the Holy City in Washington, DC. As she began to read Swedenborg's Heaven and Hell, she remarked, "my heart gave a joyous leap." She lived her life in accordance with Swedenborg's "divine love and wisdom." She went on to write, in My Religion, of the spiritual odyssey that brought her to Swedenborgianism and endowed her with the inner resources to triumph over her handicaps and live a life of selfless service. She remained a devoted member of the Church of the Holy City and on one occasion preached from its pulpit. Her extensive study of Swedenborg's works gave her the sustaining power of faith that energized and shone through the great work of her life.

“What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”
Helen Keller

Dec 26

The Swedenborgian Church is a Christian denomination and a member of the National Council of Churches. It was instrumental in organizing the first Congress of World Religions, held in Chicago in 1893, and one of the first churches in the western world teaching that
salvation is an inner experience rather than acceptance of a particular doctrine.

Wayfarers Chapel is The Glass Church sponsored by the Swedenborgian Church and designed by Lloyd Wright, son of the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Nestled in a grove of towering redwood trees, the natural sanctuary of stone and glass gives unique expression to the sacred space that welcomes all wayfarers along life's path. The mission of the Chapel is to nurture the spiritual journey of wayfarers. It is a church without a membership that welcomes people of all faiths. It has served as a special venue for wedding couples from all religious backgrounds.

Sharing:Heaven and hell are not rewards or punishments distributed on judgment day but the present inner experience we freely choose. We may choose to enjoy peace and openness, or to close ourselves in fear. Life is an opportunity for learning and spiritual growth. As we choose between giving and taking, loving and hating, right and wrong, we participate in the creation of our own spiritual character. This spiritual self, or soul, is who we really are, and this is what
lives forever.

"We cannot be spiritually reborn without some knowledge of the new or spiritual life, of the true ideas that we ought to believe and the good things that we ought to do. We cannot learn these things on our own, because on our own we can comprehend things only through out physical senses. Our physical senses give us information about the material world and ourselves, but not about heaven and God. Spiritual knowledge comes only from revelation."
Emanuel Swedenborg

Healing Webinar

Join Wayshowers from around the world on
Saturday, December 6th at 8 pm EST.

You can participate by Internet or phone. The hour is for personal healing,
inspiration, and soul celebration, to back you to keep your Wayshower light shining brightly
through the Holiday Season and into the New Year!
Click here for details on how to join in.

The Navajo Night Chant (or
Nightway) goes back around 1000 b.c.e. when it was first performed by the Indians that lived in the Canyon de
Chelly, known today as
eastern Arizona. It is celebrated in late fall or early winter for 9 days and is the most sacred of all Navajo ceremonies.

The Night Chant is basically a healing ritual performed for patients who suffer from paralysis, epilepsy, arthritis, or from loss of hearing or vision problems. Other sensory disorders and ailments of the nervous system may also be treated in a Night Way, after the patient or family seeks the help of a diviner who diagnoses the problem and determines the proper
rite(s) for treatment.

The intention is to either heal those that are sick,
and/or, to restore order and balance
to relationships within the Navajo universe. Illnesses and disorders are considered far more than mere organic or physical manifestations. An individual's body, mind, and spirit must be realigned for true healing to occur. The ceremony uses techniques to scare off sicknesses and ugliness. Once disorder is gone, then order and balance are restored through song, prayer, sand painting and other aspects of the ceremony.

The Night Chant is led by a trained Medicine Man
(doctor-priest) who has had a long
apprenticeship and learned the intricate and detailed practices that are essential to the chant. Navajo music plays a crucial role in the religious ceremonial complexes called
Chantways. A certain class of songs known as Yeibichai songs belong to the public parts of Nightway.

Dancers in the ceremony represent the
gods. Many teams dance as the chant is performed without any variation and has a
hypnotic effect on the listeners. The dancers wear many masks, made of sacred buckskin to impersonate the gods. The masks are important to the application of many "medicines" to the patient. They also play a vital role in the
initiation of the young. The female goddess masks are really worn by men since women are not allowed to minister to the person for whom the chant is being sung.

There are 12 different sand paintings that are appropriate for the Night Chant ceremony, of which half are usually chosen (4 large, 2 small). The patient (and family members) usually have input into which sand paintings are used. Each sand painting is associated with a particular story and is accompanied by specific songs, prayers and ceremonial procedures.

The whole purpose of these sand paintings is to allow the patient to
absorb the powers depicted in them. The patient does this by sitting or sleeping on it. The medicine man will apply items from his jish (sacred bundle) to the gods that are depicted in the sand painting. Then he'll do it to the corresponding part of the patient's body.

Celebrating the Traditions of the Navajo people,
Native Americans from the Southwest US

The Navajo prefer to be called the
"Diné" meaning “The People” or “Children of the Holy People”. The Navajos base their way of life on a belief that the physical and spiritual world blend together, and
everything on earth is alive and their relative. They worship the winds, sun, and watercourses. The Navajo are also cautious about death, and rarely talk about it. Almost every act of their life—the building of the hogán, the planting of crops, etc.—is ceremonial in nature, each being attended with
songs and prayers.

Navajo
Song -- Coming Home

Where my kindred dwell, there I wander.
Child of the White Corn am I, there I wander.
The Red Rock House, there I wander.
Where dark kethawns are at the doorway, there I wander.
With the pollen of dawn upon my trail. There I wander.
At the yuni, the striped cotton hangs with pollen. There I wander.

Going around with it. There I wander.
Taking another, I depart with it. With it I wander.
In the house of long life, there I wander.
In the house of happiness, there I wander.
Beauty before me, with it I wander.
Beauty behind me, with it I wander.

Nov 21, 2014

Navajo families are headed by women, and matrilineal,
so the woman and her children are of the clan of their mother and grandmother.

Changing
Woman is the most respected deity of the Navajo Indians, a benevolent fertility goddess,
symbolizing the ever-changing and ever-fertile earth, the changing of the seasons, and the life
cycle, birth, maturity, and death. She is known as Changing Woman because of her capacity for
infinite regeneration, renewal or rejuvenation. She created the four original clans of the Diné
Nation, and she taught the People of the Earth's Surface how to live in a state of "Hózhó" (beauty
and harmony).

All Navajo ceremonies must include at least one song dedicated to Changing Woman. According to
legend, Changing Woman changes continuously but never dies. She grows into an old woman in winter,
but by spring, she becomes a young woman again. In this way, she represents the power of life,
fertility, and changing seasons. Ceremonies dedicated to Changing Woman are performed to
celebrate childbirth, coming of age for girls, and weddings and to bless a new home.

Spider
Woman - Na'ashjéii Asdzáá (nah-ahsh-jay-ee ahs-dzah)

Spider Woman is one of the most important
deities of traditional Navajo religion. Unlike the Hopi
Spider Grandmother, the Navajo Spider Woman is not considered the creator of humans, but she is
their constant helper and benefactor. Spider Woman was the advisor of the heroic twins
Monster-Slayer and Born-for-Water, taught the people the arts of weaving and agriculture, and
appears in many legends and folktales to "save the day," protect the innocent, and restore harmony
to the world.

Sufism, mystical Islamic belief and practice in which Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God. It consists of a variety of mystical paths that are designed to ascertain the nature of humanity and of God and to facilitate the experience of the presence of divine love and wisdom in the world.
(October 3, 2014)

“The vibrations of music free the soul
and take from a person all the heaviness
which keeps (them) bound.”

TEN PRINCIPAL SUFI
THOUGHTS

There is One
God, the Eternal, the Only Being.

There is One Master, the Guiding Spirit of all Souls,
who constantly leads his followers towards the light.

There is One Holy Book, the sacred manuscript of nature,
the only scripture that can enlighten the reader.

There is One Religion, the unswerving progress in the right direction
towards the ideal, that fulfills the life's purpose of every soul.

There is One Law, the law of reciprocity, that can be observed
by a selfless conscience, together with a sense of awakened justice.

There is One Brotherhood, the human brotherhood that unites
the children of earth indiscriminately in the Fatherhood of God.

There is One Moral, the love that springs forth
from self-denial and blooms in deeds of beneficence.

There is One Object of Praise, the beauty that uplifts the heart
of its worshippers through all aspects from the seen to the unseen.

There is One Truth, the true knowledge of our
being,
within and without, which is the essence of all wisdom.

There is One Path, the annihilation of the false ego in the real,
which raises the mortal to immortality,
in which resides all perfection.

Poetry: Sufism and the encounters that Sufism facilitates --encounters with God, love, and the deepest aspects of human consciousness-- have evoked feelings in Sufis that have provided some of the most beautiful and profound
poetry ever written. Some of the most prominent of the Persian Sufis who wrote poetry were Rumi, Attar, and Hafiz.

Oracle: In the Persian tradition, whenever one faces a difficulty or a fork in the road,
or even if one has a general question in mind, one would hold that question in mind, and then ask the
Oracle of Shiraz Hafiz for guidance.

More often than not, Hafiz, in his own enigmatic way would
sing to the questioner and through the song, would get the questioner to look in the mirror of his/her soul. Upon
reflection in the mirror of Hafiz's Ghazal, one would be inspired with an
answer, a guidance or a direction. Traditionally,
the first line upon which the eyes of the reader fall, would give the answer to the direct question, and the rest of the Ghazal would give further clarification.

.Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic. Rumi's importance is considered to transcend national and ethnic borders. Iranians, Turks, Afghans, Tajiks, and other Central Asian Muslims as well as the Muslims of South Asia have greatly appreciated his spiritual legacy in the past seven centuries.

His poems have been widely translated into many of the world's languages and transposed into various formats.

THE SUFI POET RUMI SPEAKS OF THE MYSTERY OF LIFE COMING FROM GOD

This being human is a guesthouse.
Every morning, a new arrival
A joy, a depression, a pain, a meanness.
Some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows who violently sweep your house empty.
Still, treat each guest honorably.
They may be clearing you out for some new delight.

The Essential Rumi

Message for the
Week (October 24)

SUFI WHIRLING

Rumi’s poetry sought to explain a Heavenly love which
flowered in his soul,. The practice of whirling is a technique Sufis believe can actually open that love.

Sufi whirling is a form of Sama or physically active meditation through which dervishes (those who practice
whirling, who seek to reach the source of all perfection).
This is sought through abandoning one's egos or personal
desires, by listening to the music, focusing on God, and
spinning one's body in repetitive circles, which has been
seen as a symbolic imitation of planets in the Solar System orbiting the sun.

Whirling the body represents the earth and the heart represents the sun. As the earth rotates around the sun,
the Divine is showing you that when you are moving towards
that process of enlightenment you will find God present in
your heart.

The focus in Sufism is always on the heart. Other systems
focus on different chakras and different endocrine centers, but these are all of secondary importance in
comparison to the heart chakra. If the heart is sick, the
whole body will be sick because the heart is the source of
all power and energy in the body.

One God
- Unlike many religions, Judaism has no dogma, or
formal set of beliefs which one must hold in order to
be a Jew. Central to Judaism is the belief that there
is only one God, who created the world and is
all-knowing and all-powerful. Judaism is the oldest
surviving monotheistic religion.

The Ten
Commandments - were given by God to Moses at Mount
Sinai and must be observed by all Jews. Five
Commandments deal with the individual's relationship
with God and five deal with the individual's
relationships with other people.

The 613
Commandments - or mitzvoth - are found in the Torah
and include the Ten Commandments. Because Judaism
focuses more on actions than beliefs, religious Jews
are expected to follow all 613 commandments. In
actuality, many pertain to rituals carried out in the
First and Second Temples by the priests and are not
relevant today. Some commandments have been adapted to
modern times, such as the prohibition against lighting
a fire on the Sabbath. This has been interpreted to
include turning on electricity, which is forbidden on
the Sabbath even though it was unknown in Biblical
times.

Maimonides
Principles of Faith - Moses Maimonides lived from
1135 - 1204. He was a rabbi, physician and philosopher
who was born in Spain, lived in North Africa and
Palestine, and died in Egypt. He wrote many theological
works which remain important today. He composed 13
principles of faith that are widely accepted. These
include the uniqueness of God, the importance of the Torah
as God's law, the coming of the messiah (redeemer), and
the resurrection of the dead.

Jewish
Proverbs

If you wait to find the meaning of life,
will there be enough life left to live meaningfully?

As he thinks in his heart, so he is.

As you teach, you learn.

Do not be wise in words, be wise in deeds.

First mend yourself, and then mend others.

A bird that you set free may be caught again,
but a word that escapes your lips will not return

Jewish
Denominations and Worship (for Sept 12)Judaism is divided into three major movements in the
United States: Orthodox Judaism (the only
movement of Judaism recognized in Israel today; Reform
Judaism, which believes that the individual has the
right to adapt religious beliefs and traditions to suit
contemporary society, and emphasizes the ethics of
Judaism; and Conservative Judaism - which
attempts to conserve Jewish law and tradition, while
adapting it to contemporary needs.

WorshipReligious Jews are required to say their prayers
three times a day. Most of the prayers can be said
alone, but certain prayers require the presence of a
minyan, consisting of ten adult male Jews. In addition,
prayers and blessings are recited throughout the day
before eating and drinking and on other occasions.

While
praying, Jewish males wrap themselves in a white prayer
shawl. A skull cap, called a kippah or yarmulke, is
always worn during prayers and religious Jews wear one
at all times. Phylacteries or tefillin, two small
leather boxes containing portions of the Torah, are
wrapped around the arms and head by black leather straps
during the morning prayers.

Besides the
Torah, which is the Hebrew Bible, two other important
Jewish Religious books are The Talmud (a compilation of
discussions by rabbis over several hundred years), and
The Kabbalah (a series of writings growing out of the
tradition of Jewish Mysticism.

Jews go to
synagogue to pray together. The synagogue acts as a
house of study, for traditional Jewish males continue to
study throughout their lives. In Orthodox synagogues,
the men and women are separated from each other with a
partition. Services are usually conducted by the rabbi,
but members of the congregation can also lead the
service, and a rabbi is not required. The heart of the
service is the reading of a portion of the Torah.

All Reform,
and most Conservative synagogues have egalitarian
participation, in which women read from the Torah and
lead services.

Today many
non-Orthodox Jews celebrate a girl's bat mitzvah in the
same way as a boy's bar mitzvah. The age of b'nai
mitzvah roughly coincides with physical puberty.[1]
The bar or bat mitzvah ceremony is usually held on the
first Shabbat after a boy's thirteenth and a
girl's twelfth birthday, following an intensive period
of study.

According to
Jewish law, when Jewish boys become 13 years old, they
become accountable for their actions and become a bar
mitzvah, and are called to read the Torah in the
synagogue. The boy is now considered a man in the eyes
of the Jewish religion and obligated to fulfill the
commandments of the Torah. A girl becomes a bat mitzvah
at the age of 12 according to Orthodox and Conservative
Jews, and at the age of 13 according to Reform Jews.

Prior to
reaching bar mitzvah, the child's parents hold the
responsibility for the child's actions. After this age,
the boys and girls bear their own responsibility for
Jewish ritual law, tradition, and ethics,
and are able to participate in all areas of Jewish
community life. In addition to being considered
accountable for their actions from a religious
perspective, b'nai mitzvah may be counted towards a minyan
(prayer quorum) and may lead prayer and other religious
services in the family and the community.

Jewish
Inspiration"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a
single moment before starting to improve the
world." Anne Frank

Jewish Holy Tablets

Shabbat, The Jewish Sabbath and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement
(for Sept 26)
Holy days are celebrated in prayer and family time. The weekly holy day is
Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, celebrated every week from sundown on Friday to nightfall of Saturday. It is a time to regroup and pray, to eat and rejoice, to spend time with family and friends, to study and share—to focus on a person’s spiritual side.

Yom Kippur, known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people. This year it is celebrated on October 3-4. Jewish people traditionally observe this holy day with an approximate 25-hour period of fasting and prayer, spending most of the day in synagogue services.

Its central themes are atonement and repentance, to release the “sins or transgressions” of the past. The message of Yom Kippur from the Torah is about discernment:

“Just as God separated the light from the darkness (Gen 1:4) so we are called to discern between the realms of the holy and the profane, the sacred and the common, and the clean and the unclean.”

Shabbat,
The Jewish Sabbath (for Sept 26) -additional infoIn Hebrew,
Shabbat means "resting." As is recounted in
the beginning of the Book of Genesis, when God created
the world in six days and refrained from creating on the
seventh. The observance of Shabbat by the Jewish nation
is mandated in the fourth of the Ten Commandments.

Shabbat is
ushered in on Friday afternoon with the lighting of
candles by women and girls. Following the special
Friday night Shabbat evening prayers (preferably in the
synagogue) the family partakes of a festive meal which
is an integral part of oneg Shabbat, "delighting in
the Shabbat." It is opened by the Kiddush
blessing over a cup of wine or grape juice, and the
Hamotzie blessing over two whole loaves of bread called Challah.
As cooking and baking is not allowed on Shabbat, much of
the food preparation is done in advance.

On Shabbat
morning, the family holds a prayer service which
features the weekly public reading of the Torah. After
the prayers is another festive meal, complete with
Kiddush and Hamotzie. In the afternoon, the family
enjoys a smaller meal, called Seudah Shlishit.

Shabbat ends
after nightfall on Saturday. It is marked with the brief
Havdalah, (separation) service which marks the
departure of the holy day of rest.

Jewish
Proverb"I ask not for a lighter burden, but for
broader shoulders."

Islam takes its name from the Arabic word,
islam, meaning making something safe and secure, something whole and
sound; entering into peace and tranquility. Sala'am means peace in Arabic. "The word
jihad in Arabic does not mean a holy war," according to Isam, principal of Salaam Academy in Albuquerque, who emigrated from Kuwait. "It
means nonviolent struggle. Jihad can be speaking out against tyranny.
To say righteous words before an unjust leader is the highest level of jihad."

Muslims
A follower of Islam is called a Muslim. Fewer than 15% of Muslims are Arab; a sizable minority of Arabs are Christians
of various denominations. Countries with the largest Muslim populations are Indonesia, Pakistan, India and
Bangladesh. Next in size are Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Morocco. The two primary divisions within
Islam are the Sunni (85% of the world-wide Muslim population) and Shi'i providing 15% of the Muslim population.
Muslims primarily use the word "islam" to refer to the doctrines and teachings of the prophet Muhammad.

The Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, teaches that Islam existed before Muhammad and was the path taught by all the
prophets of God. It contains what Muslims believe to be the literal revelation of God to Muhammad over a 23-year
period through verses which address the nature of God (Allah), stories of the prophets (including Muhammad),
descriptions of the Judgment Day and afterlife, plus the five pillars of faith and moral commands.

Muslims believe Muhammad to be the last human being to receive genuine divine revelation. The Qur'an names a
number of prophets, many of whom also appear in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures (Adam, Noah (Nuh), Jonah,
Abraham (Ibrahim), Lot, Isaac, Ismael, Jacob, Joseph (Yusef), Moses (Musa), David, Solomon, John the Baptist
(Yahya) and Jesus (Isa).

Five Pillars

1. Shahada (Witnessing to
Faith) – declaring one's faith through affirmation of the shahada, a short formula
that asserts the unity of God and the messengership of Muhammad.
2. Salat (Ritual Worship) – a combination of praise of God and recitation of the Qur'an. This is the cornerstone
of the daily Islamic Spiritual discipline performed 5 times a day.
3. Zakat (Charity) – one distributes 2.5% of one's wealth once a year to those in need.
4. Sawm (Fasting) – fasting during Ramadan, by refraining from eating, drinking, smoking or sexual relations
from dawn until sunset.
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage) – a holy visit to the city of Mecca, at least once during one's lifetime.

Ramadan
The entire month of Ramadan is one of fasting and prayer. During one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, Muslims
celebrate the Laylat al-Qadr (the "Night of Power") when the Qur'an first descended from heaven.

Sufism
Sufism is a tradition of mystical discipline emphasizing the internal, spiritual dimension of Islam. It contains the
elements to understand God and the world through mystical insight. There is no one theosophy, but key ideas
include: nearness to God, spiritual poverty, knowing God through experience, true unity of all things in and through
God, development of ability to move beyond self-interest and small-heartedness, and ascending to the state of
fana, ecstatic union with the divine.

Organization of Islamic Cooperation
This representative body unites Muslim nations across the globe. It is the largest inter-governmental organization in
the world apart from the United Nations, with membership in over 57 countries. The aim of the organization is to
keep the interests of the Islamic states at heart, and to safeguard and protect the plight and prosperity of its people
in the true spirit of promoting international peace and harmony amongst the world's diverse collection of cultures.

The Symbols of Islam
Islam is a religion that began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad. There are no official religious Islam symbols, but several symbols have a special place in Islam.

The Word Allah in Arabic

The Star and Crescent:
The star and crescent is the best-known symbol used to
represent Islam. The crescent was not a symbol used for
Islam by Muhammad, as Islam is against appointing "holy
symbols" (so that during the early centuries of Islam, Muslim authorities simply did not want any geometric symbols to be used to symbolize Islam, in the way that the cross symbolizes Christianity, the Star of David a commonly occurring symbol of Judaism and Jews, etc.). This is why early Islamic coins were covered with Arabic writing, but contained no other visual symbols.

During the past two centuries
the crescent and star has featured on the flags of Pakistan
and other Muslim countries.

The Color Green
The color green has a special place in Islam. It is used in
the decoration of mosques, the
bindings of Qur'ans, the silken covers for the graves of Sufi saints, and in the flags of various Muslim countries. Green has been associated with Islam for many centuries. According to Muslims the color green symbolizes nature and
life.

June Focus:MayanSpiritual Traditions

Mayan Calendar

Mayans
and the Summer Solstice

June 20th is the day we celebrate the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and what a magnificent day it is! The Summer Solstice is a magical time in the year when you can connect to the ancient Mayan energy and recharge your mind, body and spirit. In the Spiritual energy of "Unfolding The Light," it is a time for expanding our light, our positive energy, our solutions.

The word "solstice" comes from the Latin terms "sol" meaning "sun" and "sistere" meaning "to stand still." Our Summer Solstice is the day when the sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from our hemisphere and appears to stand still before it heads south again. It is the day when the tilt of our planet in its hemisphere is most inclined towards the sun. It is also the longest day and shortest night of the year. While those of us in the Northern Hemisphere celebrate in June, folks in the Southern half of the Earth have their Summer Solstice celebration in December.

Mayan Calendar Periods

A major celestial event, the Mayans believed the Summer Solstice to be a time for spiritual initiation and change. They held special ceremonies on the solstice dates to balance the earth's energy. The Summer Solstice for the Southern Hemisphere this December also happens to be the same date that marks the end of the Mayan calendar. While there are many theories about the significance of the Mayan calendar end and December's Summer Solstice, signifies a time when our world as we know it will change for the better, and a new consciousness will spread across the Earth. So the Summer Solstice is indeed a time for celebration and change!

Like the Mayans who were very aware of their different states of altered consciousness, you can learn to increase your own consciousness and embody your self-awareness and higher self during this enchanted time. The Summer Solstice is an ideal time for you to let go of your ego and old patterns of suppression and focus on what you wish to bring into your life. This is a time for you to invite the sun's energy and connect with your higher self. And this is the perfect occasion for you to feel inspired, to follow your dreams, and to truly listen to your higher self.

Mayan Dancer

When the Spanish arrived in Central America, they forced the Maya to become Christians. While adhering to the Christian doctrine
imparted by the Spanish friars, the Mayans maintained their ancient beliefs and rituals which are still practiced today.

Chitzen Ize

Most spiritual ceremonies involve prayer, burning of copal incense and the burning of candles. The "Four Corners of the Earth" (or the earth's cardinal points) are important to the Maya, presented by four colors: white, black, red and yellow. The colors of the above and below are green and blue.

The Mayans have a special prayer that they recite upon awakening before they start their day.

Mayan Prayer for the Seven Spiritual Directions

From the East, House of Light
May wisdom Dawn in us
So we may see all things in clarity

From the North, House of the Night
May Wisdom Ripen in Us
So we may know all from within

From the West, House of Transformation
May Wisdom be transformed into right action
So we may do what must be done

From the South, House of the Eternal Sun
May right action reap the harvest
So we may enjoy the fruits of Planetary being

From Above, House of Heaven
Where star people and Ancestors gather
May their blessings come to us Now
From Below, House of Earth
May the heartbeat of her crystal core
Bless us with harmonies to end all war

From the Center, Galactic Source
Which is everywhere at once
May everything be known
As the light of mutual love

May
Focus:Polynesian & MaoriSpiritual TraditionsMāori - the
Polynesian indigenous people of New Zealand

Koru:
shape of a new unfurling silver fern frond

MAORI SPIRITUAL TRADITION

The Maori are believed to be the indigenous people of New Zealand, immigrating here from Polynesia on canoes many years ago. This event was known as the "Great Fleet".

The Maori have a rich culture, steeped in tradition and legend. Legend is passed down through the generations by story telling - stories that tell of the creation of the islands of New Zealand and much more.

Maraes, (communal "plaza" areas where the Maori people meet), provide a focus for social, cultural and spiritual life within the Maori community. The Marae includes a wharenui (meeting house) and wharekai (dining room).

Maori people define themselves by their tribe, or iwi. Family is very important within the Maori culture, and encompasses immediate family, in-laws and all those connected by blood ties.

Dance for the Maori people is a very important part of their culture. Kapa haka (Maori performance art), incorporates singing, dancing and facial expressions. Each action within the dance has a meaning, tying it to the words. The traditional Maori war dance, known as the
haka, is performed by the All Blacks (our National Rugby Team), before each game.

MAORI WISDOM

Whakatauki (proverbs) play a large role within Maori culture. They are used as a reference point in speeches and also as guidelines spoken to others day by day. It is a poetic form of the Maori language often merging historical events, or holistic perspectives with underlying messages which are extremely influential in Maori society.

Whaia te iti kahurangi ki te tuohu koe me he maunga teitei
Aim for the highest cloud so that if you miss it, you will hit a lofty mountain

He kai kei aku ringa
There is food at the end of my hands (Use your basic abilities and resources to create success)

Moe atu nga ringa raupo
Marry a man with calloused hands

Ma whero ma pango ka oti ai te mahi
With red and black the work will be complete
(This refers to co-operation where if everyone does their part, the work will be complete. The colours refer to the traditional kowhaiwhai patterns on the inside of the meeting houses.)

Ho-ala
Huna – Hawaiian Spiritual Wisdom

Certain
groups of Hawaiians believe that Hawaii was settled as much
as 1,500 years earlier that anthropologists believe.

These
people say the ancestors came here from the stars at tens of
thousands of years ago. They brought with them a sacred
wisdom called Ho'ala Huna (Hawaiian words that mean:
"that which causes an awakening to the secret or sacred
awareness of Reality.") This knowledge was said to be
the ultimate science of the world of spirit as well as the
world of form.

This
knowledge was kept a treasured secret among a special
priesthood lineage known as the Mo'o or dragon priests.
These priests are said to have used this knowledge to build
a powerful culture in a land called Mu, which later spread
to Egypt and regions of Central and South America.

Due to a contentious battle this motherland was completely
destroyed. To preserve elements of this sacred knowledge,
the priests who were its keepers in Egypt migrated eastward
across northern India and southern Asia. Their goal was to
reach a land in the middle of the ocean where the knowledge
could be preserved until a time when it could once again
"Fly around the world as if on wings of a bird."

As they migrated eastward they founded centers of learning
which became the forerunners of many of the world's
religions. They eventually arrived in Hawaii sometime before
600 BC. (750 BC to
1,250 AD)

Island of Kauai

Ho'ala
Huna resulted in a civilization so advanced that its people
lived in what can only be described as paradise. These
people thrived in total peace and harmony for nearly 2,000
years. They had no need for kings, armies, tax collectors,
police or jails. Its system of conflict resolution and
justice was a model of effectiveness. Its family's
exemplified the ideals of safety and nurturing and produced
people who were strong of body, mind, and spirit.

Each person saw life as a Divine opportunity to develop
one's spirit. In learning how to master their spirits they
learned how to master the flow of life energy. By learning
how to master the flow of life energy, they learned how to
master their Divine ability to create. By taking personal
responsibility for how they created their lives they grew in
terms of personal enlightenment and empowerment.

This enlightened society was governed by counsels of family
elders and supported by a hierarchy of highly skilled, yet
humble priest-teachers known as kahuna - keepers of the
wisdom - whose entire lives were unconditionally dedicated
to the task. Originally, their headquarters was the Big
Island of Hawaii.

This ancient system affirms that God is found not in a
church but in the essence of one's being because each person
is a part of the ALL THAT IS that is God.

It sees each person's life as a perfect, and Divinely
inspired path and that each person will eventually wake up
back home, that place where each of us are completely aware
of our Divine nature.

The
teachings of Ho'ala Huna are firmly rooted in universal
truth. It postulates that enlightenment is the purpose of
life, that expanding consciousness is the nature
of Divinity, and that the attainment of total consciousness
is the nature of Godhood, and the eventual destiny of every
conscious
being.

Ho'ala
Huna affirms that priests cannot teach anyone anything they
don't already know. As a part of God, each of us are already
KNOW everything. Kahuna can only provide perspectives that
allow a person to remember that, which has been forgotten.
Out of respect for each person's path, Kahuna offer no
perspective unless it is sincerely requested in a spirit of
humility.

Pa'ao, a kahuna of the Order of Ku, organized an invasion of
the Big Island of Hawaii in 1250 A.D. Pa'ao replaced
the enlightened Hawaiian culture with a class-based society
known as the Ali'i (royalty based system) and installed his
Tahitian relatives to be kings over the native
Hawaiians.

Except for a few high priests known as Kahuna of the Order
of Kane (Kah-nay) the high priests of the Mo'o clan) who
escaped to the northern-most island of Kauai, the knowledge
of Ho'ala Huna became lost to the Polynesian people and the
world.

The only island Pa'ao could not conquer was the island of
Kauai. He mounted three invasions, but due to freak storms
and other unusual problems, his soldiers never set foot on
the island. Through time, other Tahitian kings also
attempted to invade Kauai. Even Kamehameha mounted three
unsuccessful invasions. It was primarily on Kauai, and in
the mountainous regions of the Big Island and Molokai that
Ho'ala Huna was preserved among the Mo'o priests who were
able to avoid capture.

The indigenous religious beliefs and practices of African peoples include various traditional religions which have some characteristics in common. Generally, they are oral not written, include belief in a supreme being, belief in spirits and other divinities, a veneration of ancestors, use of magic, and traditional medicine. The role of humanity is generally seen as one of harmonizing nature with the supernatural.

Spiritual Rituals: Dagara, Burkina Faso Tribe (West Africa)
When a woman is pregnant, a hearing ritual is performed. In this ritual, elders will ask the unborn child, "Who are you? Why are you coming here? Why do you bother, this world is too messed up. What can we do to ease your journey?" The baby takes over the mother's voice and speaks back, "This is who I am. I am coming to help uphold the knowledge of the of the ancestors," or, "I am coming to do this and this".
And based on that information, the elders will prepare an appropriate ritual space in which to receive the chills and make sure that everything is ready here before the child is born.
After the birth, the elders make sure they surround the child with things that will help her remember and accomplish the purpose she has described.
And when she reaches adolescence and goes through initiation, she has to go back to the time before she was born to remember what she said. -from "The Spirit of Intimacy" by Sobonfu Somea

Traditional African society was matriarchal, yet everyone in the village was actively involved in child-rearing, particularly the elders. Instruction of the youth was the principal responsibility of the elders.

The traditional African Rites of Passage involved far more than manhood and womanhood training. It was a process that followed the entire life of the child. Beginning at age three, each year the child would learn certain principles and demonstrate that knowledge through mastering something: perhaps a dance, that demonstrated a certain understanding.

Children were taught a world view in which everyone and everything is interdependent. A view that establishes the importance of each child and each child’s obligation to be a dependable, reliable, knowledgeable, and wise link in the chain of life.

“It’s a long way to the watering hole. Explicitly and consciously raise your children, and teach them the values of their ancestors. Then you can take the bars down from your doors.”

March 2014
Focus:
Buddhist
Spiritual Tradition

Buddhist beliefs center on correct understanding of human nature and ultimate reality. Buddha urged
his followers to focus on the Four Noble Truths by which they can free themselves from suffering.

Four Noble Truths
Why are we here? Why are we not happy with our lives?
What is the cause of our unsatisfactoriness?
How can we see the end of unsatisfactoriness and experience eternal peace?

The Buddha's Teaching is based on the Four Noble Truths. To realize these Truths is to realize and penetrate into
the true nature of existence, including the full knowledge of oneself. When we recognize that all phenomenal
things are transitory, are subject to suffering and are void of any essential reality, we will be convinced that
true and enduring happiness cannot be found in material possessions and worldly achievement, that true happiness
must be sought only through mental purity and the cultivation of wisdom.

The Four Noble Truths are a very important aspect of the teaching of the Buddha. The Buddha has said that it is
because we fail to understand the Four Noble Truths that we have continued to go round in the cycle of birth and
death. In the very first sermons of the Buddha, the Dhammachakka
Sutta, which He gave to the five monks at the
Deer park in Sarnath was on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

What are the Four Noble Truths?

The Noble Truth of Dukkha
The Noble Truth of the Cause of Dukkha
The Noble Truth of the End of Dukkha
The Noble Truth of the Path leading to the end of Dukkha

There are many ways of understanding the Pali word 'Dukkha'. It has generally been translated as 'suffering' or
'unsatisfactoriness', but this term as used in the Four Noble Truths has a deeper and wider meaning. Dukkha
contains not only the ordinary meaning of suffering, but also includes deeper ideas such as imperfection, pain,
impermanence, disharmony, discomfort, irritation, or awareness of incompleteness and
insufficiency. By all means, Dukkha includes physical and mental suffering: birth, decay, disease, death, to be united with the unpleasant, to
be separated from the pleasant, not to get what one desires.

However, many people do not realize that even during the moments of joy and happiness, there is Dukkha because these moments are all impermanent states and will pass
away when conditions change. Therefore, the truth of Dukkha encompasses the whole of existence, in our happiness
and sorrow, in every aspect of our lives. As long as we live, we are very profoundly subjected to this truth.

“All the holy words you read and all the holy words you speak are as nothing if you do not
act upon them. Even if you read little and say little but live the right way, forsaking craving, hatred and delusion, you will know
the truth and find calmness and will show others the path.”
- The Buddha

Footprints of Buddha

Prayer Wheel

February 2014
Focus on
Spiritual Tradition:Wiccan

Celtic Cross

Wicca draws from the Old Traditions of Witchcraft. Witchcraft and Wicca, while similar in many respects, are not the same. All Wiccans are Pagans but not all Pagans are
Wiccans. One can be a Witch, without being a Wiccan, just as a person can be a Christian, without being a Baptist. Wicca is a recognized religion, while Witchcraft itself is not considered a religion. Thus, Wicca might best be described as a modern religion, based on ancient Witchcraft traditions.

Wicca is a legally recognized religion in the United States, and in many aspects of Canadian bureaucracy as well. A conservative estimate of 400,000 makes Paganism the seventh largest religious
organization in the USA. Some Wiccan traditions are associated with a culture. Examples are Celtic
Wiccan, Strega, Norse, Welsh, Dianic and Egypt. These paths are rooted in the society or culture they are named for. These groups follow and teach the history, mythology, anthropology, & archeology of the culture they are named after.

Witchcraft in ancient history was known as "The Craft of the Wise" because most who followed the path were in tune with the forces of nature, had a knowledge of Herbs and medicines, gave council and were valuable parts of the village and community as Shamanic healers and leaders. They understood that mankind is not superior to nature, the earth and its creatures but instead we are simply one of the many parts, both seen and unseen that combine to make the whole.

Wiccan learn from and revere the gift of nature from divine creation by celebrating the cycles of the sun, moon and seasons. "We search within ourselves for the cycles that correspond to those of the natural world and try to live in harmony with the movement of this universal energy. We also revere the spirits of the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water that combine to manifest all creation. From these four elements we obtain insight to the rhythms of nature and understand they are also the rhythms of our own lives."

This beautiful and simple ritual of cleansing is associated with LAGUZ, the water rune, whose attributes are water, fluidity, the ebb and flow of emotions, of vocations and relationships.

Whenever your body comes in contact with water, use this prayer to ritualize the cleansing and healing of your body and spirit. Any time you dip your hands into water or take a shower or jump into a pool, lake, or the ocean, think or speak these words.

Watch what comes to mind as you repeat these words aloud or in silence. Use this Prayer of Intention with love and gentleness. You are not making yourself wrong or punishing yourself. Rather, you are embodying in words a yearning for more clarity, more Light in your life.

The term Tao means "way", "path" or "principle", and is found in Chinese philosophies and religions other than Taoism. In Taoism, however, Tao denotes something that is both the source and the driving force behind everything that exists. The Tao represents the essence of all creation, and the spiritual tradition emphasizes living in harmony.

Taoism idealizes a natural world characterized by ever-changing cyclical correspondence between the "inner" (microcosm) and the outer (macrocosm). All life energy ("chi") is composed of differing combinations of female yin energy and male yang energy, for balance.

Lao Tzu

The founder of Taoism is considered to be Lao Tzu (Laozi) who lived in the 500s BCE, and introduced the elements of Taoism through his book Tao Te
Ching.

Many scholars believe Taoism arose as a countermovement to Confucianism. The basic spiritual philosophies are much the same and Lao Tzu is traditionally held to have been a teacher of Confucius. Taoism favors natural approach vs. ritual, spontaneity, and individualism vs. a defined social order. Representatives of early Chinese Buddhism were deeply influenced by the Taoist keystone texts which embrace "this life" and "living every moment."

The practices of Taoism evolved over time, developing through a number of different schools. Taoists recognize
five basic elements (wu-hsing) of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Practitioners focus on
benevolence, and inner peace. One goal is to seek
spiritual enlightenment through action without effort
(wu-wei).

Throughout Chinese history, Taoism was nominated as the
state religion several times until the 17th century, when it fell from favor. Although suppressed in the first decades of the People's Republic of China (PRC), and enduring persecution during the Cultural Revolution, Taoism is one of five religions recognized in the PRC today.

Estimates for the number of Taoists worldwide range from 20 million to possibly as many as 400 million in China alone, especially in regions populated by Chinese people like mainland China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore.

Symbols:
The taijitu (yin and yang symbol) as well as the Ba Gua (Eight Trigrams of Feng Shui) are associated with Taoist symbolism. Originating around the 10th century, the Taijutu is used by almost all Taoist organizations on their flags, logos, temple floors, or stitched into clerical robes. Taoist temples may fly square or triangular flags that feature mystical writing or diagrams intended to provide guidance for the spirits of the dead, to bring good fortune, increase the life span, etc.

Exercises: A recurrent and important element of Taoism are rituals, exercises and substances aiming at aligning oneself spiritually with cosmic forces, at undertaking ecstatic spiritual journeys, or at improving physical health and thereby extending one's life, ideally to the point of immortality. Enlightened and immortal beings are referred to as
xian.

Martial Arts: A number of martial arts traditions, (like T'ai Chi Ch'uan) embody Taoist principles to a significant extent, and some practitioners consider their art to be a means of practicing Taoism.

Other Spiritual Practices:
Fortune telling - including astrology, I Ching, and other forms of divination -
have long been considered a traditional Taoist pursuits. Mediumship is widely encountered in some sects (tongji or marial form and spirit-writing).

---Recurrent and important
elements of Taoism are rituals, exercises and substances aiming at aligning oneself spiritually with cosmic forces, at undertaking spiritual journeys, or at improving physical health and thereby extending one's life, ideally to the point of immortality. Enlightened and immortal beings are referred to as
xian.

A number of martial arts traditions, (like
T'ai Chi Ch'uan) embody Taoist principles to a significant extent, and some practitioners consider their art to be a means of practicing
Taoism-

Divination, including astrology and the I Ching, has long been considered a traditional Taoist pursuit.

- Mediumship is widely encountered in some sects (tongji or marial form and spirit-writing).

"Be still like a mountain and flow like a great river"
-Laozi, Tao Te Ching

December Focus:

ChristianitySpiritual Traditions

Symbols associated with
Christianity

Christianity is the second major religion that celebrates One God. It has nearly 2 billion adherents worldwide. The religion is a celebration of both the life and death of the Wayshower Jesus of Nazareth, said to be the son of God. His message included forgiveness, love of one's neighbor, the importance of inner as well as outer observance of spiritual law. Jesus is also said to have performed miracles such as walking on water, healing the sick, and restoring the dead to life. He had twelve key disciples during his life.

The earliest Christians were converts from Judaism who believed that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah who would usher in God's kingdom on Earth.

The core Christian scripture is the Bible, made up of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) which recounts the story of the Jews and the New Testament, written in Greek by Jesus' followers. Included are the four Gospels which tell of the Holy Family, the Acts of Jesus and his apostles, The Epistles which interpret the new faith and provide counsel to converts, and The Revelation with prophecies about the messiah's return and the day of judgment.

Candles often represent The Light Within

An important symbol associated with Jesus
is Light. "I Am The Light of the World" The Christ Consciousness is a reflection of this light within, being tuned into the soul, the good, kind, loving, sharing part of each person.

Christianity may be the largest religion in the world today. There are approximately 2.2 billion followers, nearly one-third of the world's population.

Pope Francis, the current head of the Catholic Church, has been inspiring and challenging people with his more hands-on approach as a spiritual leader. Here is a passage on "building bridges" from one of his addresses to representatives of more than 180 countries, sovereign orders and international organizations. As
the mission of WCF is to help "build bridges between
the spiritual traditions of the world," it is a hopeful
message:

Pope Francis with Dove

Building
Bridges"One of the titles of the Bishop of Rome is Pontiff, that is,
builder of bridges with God and between people.
My wish is that the dialogue between us should help to
build bridges connecting all people, in such a way that
everyone can see in the other not an enemy, not a rival,
but a brother or sister to be welcomed and embraced."
- Pope Francis

To read more of his insights, see page 2 of the Fall issue of Spirit Is Our River.

Oh Jesus, Light of the world, my Friend,
Fill me with Thy Light and send
My heart, my mind, and all my being
Into the world Your light to bring,
Your Truth in all You do through me
From now until eternity.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

-by Suzanne Davis Harden

A
Christmas carol (also called a noël) is a carol
(song
or hymn)
whose lyrics reflect the theme of Christmas
or the winter season in general. Carol singing is a
tradition celebrated worldwide, particularly in the period
immediately surrounding the December holidays.

The
first specifically Christmas hymns for Christians that we
know of appear in fourth century Rome.
About 500 early carols, which included wassailing songs,
songs in English and Latin and some “macaronic” (mixture
of Latin and English) carols were found in museums in the 19th
century. Singing carols in church was instituted on Christmas
Eve 1880 in Truro
Cathedral, Cornwall.
At that time the words “hymn” and “carol’ began
being used almost interchangeably.

Carols
are a vocal “Light” of the holiday season, with many
celebrating the light of angels. Among the favorites:

A
song celebrating the sounds and songs of angels is Angels
We Have Heard on High," a Christmas
carol in the public domain. The song commemorates
the story of the birth
of Jesus
Christ found in the Gospel
of Luke, in which shepherds outside Bethlehemencounter
a multitude of angels singing and praising the newborn
child. The words of the song are based on a traditional French
carol known as Les Anges dans nos campagnes
(literally, "Angels in our countryside") composed
by an unknown author in Languedoc,
France. Its most common English version was translated
in 1862 by James
Chadwick, the Roman Catholic Bishop
of Hexham and Newcastle, northeast England.

Angels
we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in replyEchoing their joyous
strainsGloria in Excelsis Deo
(Glory to God In The Highest)

Belief in angels is not limited to Christian traditions. The Christians inherited Jewish understandings of angels, which in turn may have been partly inherited from the Egyptians. Angels to Christians represented the spirit of love and messengers of the Spirit of God in Jesus the Christ

The angels are represented throughout the Christian Bible as a body of spiritual beings intermediate between God and men: "You have made him (man) a little less than the angels ..." (Psalms 8:4-5). Some Christians believe that angels are created beings, and use the following passage as evidence: "praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts ... for He spoke and they were made. He commanded and they were created ..." (Psalms 148:2-5; Colossians 1:16). The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) declared that the angels were created beings. The Council's decree Firmiter credimus (issued against the
Albigenses) declared both that angels were created and that men were created after them. The First Vatican Council (1869) repeated this declaration in Dei
Filius, the "Dogmatic constitution on the Catholic faith". Of note is that the Bible describes the function of angels as "messengers" and does not indicate when the creation of angels
occurred.

Adherents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (generally referred to as "Mormons") view angels as the messengers of God. They are sent to mankind to deliver messages, minister to humanity, teach doctrines of salvation, call mankind to repentance, give priesthood keys, save individuals in perilous times, and guide
humankind. --Wikipedia

10 References to Angels in the Bible

Psalm 91:11
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

Matthew 18:10
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father
who is in heaven.

Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby
some have entertained angels unawares.

Hebrews 1:14
Are they not all ministering spirits
sent out to serve for the sake of those
who are to inherit salvation?

Matthew 4:11
Then the devil left him, and behold,
angels came and were ministering to him.

Revelation 5:11 ESV
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders
the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

Revelation 14:6 ESV
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

Matthew 26:53
Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?

Genesis 1:3
And God said, "Let there be light,"
and there was light.

Job 33: 23
"If a man has an angel to whom one would listen once in a thousand times,
the angel would show him the way of uprightness.

Hinduism is the dominant
tradition in Southeast and Central Asia. The Hindu spiritual
tradition has no founder. Membership

is
gained through birth
into the caste system, and conversion is not generally
permitted.

With a history of more than
4,000 years, there are a some common features:

- Samsara, a cycle of birth, death and rebirth
- Brahman, a cosmic and universal principle underlying
reality; the absolute soul.
- Karma - a system of merit, and demerit that determines the
favorableness of the next rebirth
- Moksha, the state of mastery, when the soul achieves union
with Brahman

Religious Holidays

Among the most popular and
universally celebrated religious holidays are Diwali, an
autumn celebration of light over darkness;

Holi, the spring
festival of colors; and Raksha Bandhan, which honors
brother-sister relationships.

Diwali - Festival of Lights

Diwali is India's biggest and
most important holiday of the year. The festival gets its
name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (or deepa) that

Indians
light outside their homes to symbolize the inner
light that protects us from spiritual darkness. This
festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday
is to Christians.

Diwali, celebrated in October
or November each year, originated as a harvest festival that
marked the last harvest of the year before winter.

India
was
an agricultural society where people would seek the divine
blessing of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, as they closed
their accounting books and prayed for success at the outset
of a new financial year. Today, this practice extends to
businesses all over the Indian subcontinent, which mark the
day after Diwali as the first day of the new financial year.

Lakshmi. Some believe that Lakshmi
wanders the Earth looking for homes where she will be
welcomed. People open their doors and windows and light
lamps to invite Lakshmi in.

Creation, Gods,
Festivals, Gatherings

There are many stories of creation.
One tells of Brahma,

the
god of creation, born of a lotus
emerging from the navel of the god Vishnu. The Sanskrit is
an ancient language that only male Brahmins are
traditionally allowed to learn.

Hindu GodsHinduism has many gods and
goddesses which are finite manifestations of Brahman. In
modern Hindu practice,

Shiva
(the goddesses) and Rama and
Krishna (as avatars of Vishnu) are at the center of most
ritual.

Hindus may keep weekly or
monthly fast days and perform puja (devotional rituals)
either at home or by

visiting
a local mandir (temple). They
may occasionally go on a yatra (pilgrimage) to pay homage at
a major regional temple on a festival day.

Communal gathering is
referred to as a satsang. It may involve listening to
bhashan (religious messages) and the singing of bhajans
(devotional hymns).

Right: Bali
Statue

Dietary Practice,
Arranged Marriages

Among high-class Hindus,
there exists a strong tradition of vegetarianism, a dietary
practice associated with ritual purity. The higher one's

caste, the greater the number of rules required to maintain
a state of ritual purity. However, the diet of coastal areas
usually includes fish, and in practice, many Hindus eat
meat, particularly in northern India, which has experienced
centuries of Muslim influence.

Arranged marriage is
the norm for most Hindu families. Brides usually live with
their in-laws in a joint-family system, with several members
of an extended

family sharing the responsibilities of
domestic life in one collective dwelling.

Hindu
Prayer

In a Hindu's life, the prayer
forms an important component.

Every
action, event and the
ensuing circumstances, success or failure, is filled with
prayers. Therefore, in Hindu tradition, prayer takes
different and numerous forms compared to other cultures,
though the object and motive remain the same.

Arguably,
Hinduism is the one religion with maximum

number
of prayers, worship, rituals and ceremonies. Waking up,
going to sleep, bathing, eating meals, studies, travel, name
giving, birth, death, marriage, taking medicine and
commencing a new venture - to name some, prayers form the
important part in all these and the whole life.

Typical Hindu
Ritual Worship or Puja

Puja is essentially a ritual expressing a symbolic offering of our lives and activities to God. Every object associated with the ritual of Puja is symbolically significant. The flower that we offer to the deity stands for the good that has blossomed in us. The fruits offered symbolize our detachment, self-sacrifice and surrender, and the incense we burn collectively stands for the desires we have for various things in life. The lamp we light represents the light in us, that is the soul, which we offer to the Absolute. The vermilion or red powder stands for our emotions.

Hindu Prayer to the Lord
O Lord of Lords!
You alone are my mother and father.
You alone are my relative and friend.
Only you are my wealth and wisdom.
You alone are everything for me!

Hindu Prayer for Guidance and PeaceLead me from untruth to truth.
Lead me from darkness to light.
Lead me from death to immortality.
Om, peace peace peace
(Note: Peace in all three realms:
Surroundings, body and mind.)

Hindu Prayer for ProtectionMay Lord protect us. May Lord nourish us.
May he energize us. May he make us brilliant.
May we be congenial.
Om, peace peace peace

Hindu Prayer for Brahman
(the one and only Supreme Lord)Brahman is the offering, Brahman is the oblation
Brahman is the fire to which Brahman makes the offering
Brahman indeed is attained by one who is absorbed in action.

Hindu Prayer for Prosperity and HappinessMay all be happy, may all be healthy.
May all prosper, may none suffer.
Om, peace, peace, peace

Native American groups have
inhabited the territory of New Mexico for thousands of
years, many centuries before Europeans reached the Americas.
Reminders of their ancient presence are throughout the
state: cliff dwellings and pit houses, kivas (underground
ceremonial chambers), abandoned cities along ancient trade
routes, and symbols etched in rock.

New Mexico is home to 22
tribes, which includes the Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache,
Mescalero Apache, and 19 pueblos.

The Navajo Nation is the largest American Indian tribe in
North America and their reservation is located in northwest
New Mexico, northern Arizona and southeast Utah. The
Jicarilla Apaches live in northern New Mexico and the
Mescalero Apaches reside in southern New Mexico. A majority
of the 19 pueblos are located in northern New Mexico. Each
tribe is unique and they have their own traditional
language, customs, values, prayers, songs, ceremonies,
traditional attire, and way of life.

Most pueblos still celebrate
and honor their Native American traditions with feast
day celebrations, which often include dances in brilliant
attire and sacred rituals. The corn, deer and buffalo dances
are commonly open to the public. Drums beat with an
insistent cadence and the air is filled with the fragrance
of piñon smoke. The sights, sounds and smells of the pueblo
celebrations are a feast for the senses.

Each dance tells a different
story and serves a different purpose. The ceremonial dress
worn by the dancers are more than just decorative; the
feathers, jewelry and beads all communicate part of the
story. Every dance is considered a prayer, not a
performance, and as such, outsiders are privileged to
observe them.

Healing
Practices of Native Americans

Many healing practices and
spiritual ceremonies that are being practiced today by
healing practitioners and metaphysical groups have been
adopted from traditions that originated from various Native
American tribes. History indicates that each tribe would
have one or more elders who were groomed in the healing
arts. These individuals would serve as herbalists, healers,
and spirit communicators. Today's tribal leaders often frown
on terms such as Shaman, and even Medicine Man.
The duties and types of
healing arts and spiritual ceremonies performed would
naturally vary from tribe to tribe.

Animal Totems: The appearance of birds and animals, either
in reality or dreamtime, are considered to be totem
messengers offering spiritual guidance.

Sweat Lodges: The Native American sweat lodge or
purification ritual cleans and heals the body, mind, and
spirit.

Dreamcatchers: The earliest dreamcatchers (sacred hoops)
were crafted for children to protect them from nightmares.

Feather Fetishes: Fetishes are sacred objects used as a
tool to facilitate an awakening into your whole self, used
in prayer, or utilized for protection and healing.

Prayer Ties: Prayer ties are offered to The Great Spirit in
exchange for blessings.

Smudge Sticks: Using a smoking smudge wand for purification
is part of many Native American traditions.

Talking Sticks: Passing the talking stick from speaker to
speaker is a respectful way to communicate and share
opinions. This tradition is especially helpful in keeping
disagreements from getting out of hand.

One general truth that threads throughout the Native American spiritual beliefs is the belief of the Mother Earth spirituality. The Native Americans felt that the earth was our mother, the sky our father, and all things were interconnected. The many Creation myths of the Native American stress the mutuality and interdependence between people and other forms of life. There is mutual respectfulness required when interacting with trees, birds, and plants and also natural forces such as the wind and the rain. Their creation stories empathize that Creation did not just happen a million years ago and end there, but that the Spirit that first infused the world is still with us now and can be experienced as "immanence", the spirit which imbues all things.

Plains Indian Praying

A Native American Prayer for Peace

O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you.
To your messengers the four winds,
and to Mother Earth who provides for your children.
Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect,
and to be kind to each other so that they may grow with peace in mind.
Let us learn to share all the good things you provide for us on this Earth.
-- U.N. Day of Prayer for World Peace

Drumming

1. Drumming has been used for centuries by tribes for ceremonial dancing, communication and meditation. It is based on the beating of the heart, consistent energy vibrations that evoke healing and spiritual awareness. Cycles, such as the changing of seasons, the full moon, etc, are often the focus of ceremonial drumming.
2. Gather a group of persons with drums and other percussion instruments who wish to tune into the heartbeat of Mother Earth.
3. Drumming can be combined with chanting and dancing to create harmonic rhythms. (Try drumming and/or dancing in a fellowship for an hour or so).

Hanukkah (also known as Chanukah or Chanukkah), or the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Greeks in 2nd century BCE. When the Maccabees entered the temple to purify and rededicate it, they discovered that there was only enough oil to light the temple menorah for one day. They lit it anyway and a miracle happened. The lamps burned continuously for eight days until more oil could be brought to the temple. That is why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar. This year,
Hanukkah will occur between November 27-December 5,
2013.

The spiritual meaning of Hanukkah is one of faith in God; in remaining true to one's traditional beliefs even when forbidden to do so by the authorities and is a story about the courage of the Maccabees. They risked their lives and won against all odds because they believed in the courage of their convictions.

Candle Lighting CeremonyThe festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical Menorah consists of eight branches with an additional raised branch. The extra light is called a shamash (or shamus) and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the shamash is to have a light available for practical use. Using the Hanukkah lights themselves for purposes other than celebrating and meditating on the Hanukkah is forbidden.

Candles are added to the menorah from right to left (like Hebrew writing). The shamus candle is lit first, then the blessings are recited while holding the candle. Using the shamus to light the Hanukkah candles, they are lit from left to right (newest to oldest). Candles must burn for more than half an hour and are left burning until they go out on their own ( normally one hour).

Blessing over Candles
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe
Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us
to light the lights of Chanukkah. (Amen)

Blessing for the Chanukkah Miracle
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe
Who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time

Shehecheyanu (Who Has Kept Us Alive)This blessing is recited only on the first night of
Chanukkah.
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe
who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season (Amen)

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and like most Jewish
holidays there are food customs associated with it. One of
the most popular and well-known food customs on Rosh
Hashanah has to do with dipping apple slices into honey.
This sweet combination stems from an age-old Jewish
tradition of eating sweet foods to express our hope for a
sweet new year.

In addition to symbolizing our hopes for a sweet new year,
according to Jewish mysticism the apple represents the
Shekhinah (the feminine aspect of God). During Rosh Hashanah
some Jews believe the Shekhinah is watching us and
evaluating our behavior during the past year. Eating honey
with apples represents our hope that the Shekhinah will
judge us kindly and look down on us with sweetness.

Beyond its association with the Shekhinah, ancient Jews
thought apples had healing properties. Rabbi Alfred Koltach
writes in The Second Jewish Book of Why that whenever King
Herod (73-4 B.C.E.) felt faint he would eat an apple, and
that during Talmudic times apples were frequently sent as
gifts to people in ill health (pg 328).

The Blessing For Apple and Honey
Though apple and honey can be eaten throughout the holidays,
they are almost always eaten together on the first night of
Rosh Hashanah. Jews dip apple slices into honey and say a
prayer asking God for a sweet New Year. There are three
steps to this ritual:

1. Say the first part of
the prayer, which is a blessing thanking God for the
apples:
Blessed are you Lord, our God, Ruler of the world, Creator
of the fruit of the tree. (Baruch atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu
melech Ha-olam, Borai p'ree ha'aitz.)

2. Take a bite of the apple slices dipped in honey.
3. Now say the second part of the prayer, which asks God
to renew us during the New Year:

May it be Your will,
Adonai, our God and the God of our forefathers, that You
renew for us a good and sweet year.
(Y'hee ratzon mee-l'fanekha, Adonai Elohaynu v'elohey
avoteynu sh'tichadeish aleinu shanah tovah um'tuqah )

The Shofar

The shofar is a Jewish instrument most often made from a ram's horn, though it can also be made from the horn of a sheep or goat. It makes a trumpet-like sound and is traditionally blown on Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year.

According to some scholars, the shofar dates back to ancient times when making loud noises on the New Year was thought to scare off demons and ensure a happy start to the coming year.

The shofar is such an important part of this holiday that another name for Rosh HaShanah is Yom Teruah, which means "day of the shofar blast" in Hebrew.

The shofar is blown one hundred times on each of the two days of Rosh HaShanah. If one of the days of Rosh HaShanah falls on Shabbat, however, the shofar is not blown. The person who blows the shofar is called a Tokea (which literally means "blaster") and it is no easy task to perform each of these sounds.

According to the famous Jewish philosopher Maimonides, the sound of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is meant to wake up soul and turn its attention to the important task of repentance (teshuvah).

The Psalms

For time immemorial, whenever Jews found themselves in difficult situations, whether individually or communally, they would open up the Book of Psalms and use King David's ageless poetic praises and supplications to beseech God for mercy.
The Midrash tells us that when King David compiled the Psalms, he had in mind himself, as well as every Jew of every generation and every circumstance. No matter who you are and what the situation, the words of the Psalms speak the words of your heart and are heard On High.

A Psalm by David
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing. He lays me down in green pastures;
He leads me beside still waters. He revives my soul;
He directs me in paths of righteousness for the sake of His Name.
Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff-they will comfort me.
You will prepare a table for me before my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil; my cup is full.
Only goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord for many long years.ref. www.chabad.org

The Torah

The Torah is composed of 5 books called in English Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. They chronicle the history of the Hebrews and also contain the commandments that Jews are to follow. Rabbinic Judaism holds that the Torah extant today is the same one that was given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. Maimonides explains: "We do not know exactly how the Torah was transmitted to Moses. But when it was transmitted, Moses merely wrote it down like a secretary taking dictation....[Thus] every verse in the Torah is equally holy, as they all originate from God, and are all part of God's Torah, which is perfect, holy and true."

The Talmud

The Talmud is the repository of thousands of years of Jewish wisdom, and the oral law, which is as ancient and significant as the written law (the Torah) finds expression therein. It is a conglomerate of law, legend, and philosophy, a blend of unique logic and shrewd pragmatism, of history and science, anecdotes and humor... Although its main objective is to interpret and comment on a book of law, it is, simultaneously, a work of art that goes beyond legislation and its practical application. And although the Talmud is, to this day, the primary source of Jewish law, it cannot be cited as an authority for purposes of ruling... Though based on the principles of tradition and the transmission of authority from generation to generation, it is unparalleled in its eagerness to question and reexamine convention and accepted views and to root out underlying causes. The talmudic method of discussion and demonstration tries to approximate mathematical precision, but without having recourse to mathematical or logical symbols. ...the Talmud is the embodiment of the great concept of mitzvat talmud Torah - the positive religious duty of studying Torah, of acquiring learning and wisdom, study which is its own end and
reward.
Ref: Wikipedia

SPIRIT CALL Sept 13 - President's Message on the Jewish Tradition

YOM KIPPUR

Considered the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur is the day when Jews reflect on the past year as they atone for their sins. Known as the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Sept. 13 and continues until nightfall on Sept. 14, At this time, Jews use the time as a time of cleansing to seek forgiveness for sins committed between man and God. They make a pledge to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the new year.

The holiday includes a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer. There are five prayer services over the course of the day.

The singular prayer of Yom Kippur is the "Al Chet", a recitation, said aloud and in unison, of a formal list of 44 sins and omissions expressed throughout the Day of Atonement. The goal of the "Al Chet" prayer that is said many times during Yom Kippur services is to get to the root of the problem, so you can eliminate it entirely. These 44 statements are not a list of mistakes, but rather identify the roots of mistakes.

Some examples of the 44 "sins and omissions" include: We atone

For the mistakes we committed before You under duress and willingly.
For the mistakes we committed before You through having a hard heart.
For the mistakes we committed before You without thinking (or without knowledge).
For the mistakes we committed before You through harsh speech.

The prayer is also as an expression of *group* responsibility for the sins of the individuals.

Traditional Jews thump their chest with their fist at every sentence. Usually this is done gently, symbolically, but traditional men may vigorously "beat their chests" in expressing their repentance.

The blast of the shofar (or ram's horn) signals the end of the Day of Atonement and marks the time when congregants head home for the highly anticipated "breaking of the fast" meal and family celebration.

We acknowledge the spirit of this sacred holiday and wish our Jewish brothers and sisters a peaceful celebration.

SPIRIT CALL Sept 6-
Message from the President

The holy celebration of Rosh Hashanah begins this weekend, signaling the beginning of the Jewish New Year. This inspiration is called "Meaning In Time," shared during the Morning Service of Rosh Hashanah:

"God of all lands and ages, the ground under our feet is holy; the light that shines for us is Yours; the world glows with your presence. You are just beyond the horizon of the mind, a vision new to us yet seen before, like a memory of the future, a promise already kept.

We remember Abraham and Isaac walking together toward their mountain; Jacob dreaming of a ladder to link heaven and earth; Moses turning aside to look at the common bush burning with a divine flame; David dancing before the Arc of Your Covenant; a shepherd prophet roaring Your word like a lion; the days and years of our own lives - a search for light in a dark and dusty time. And we remember a rainbow." -from Gates of Repentance

August Focus:MayanSpiritual Traditions

Mayan Calendar

from Dreams In Mayan Spirituality: Concepts of DreamingBy Elena Levi

In contemporary Mayan religion, dreams are sacred. Sleeping and dreaming are more than just that ordinary, nightly routine that everyone takes part in. Dreams are important, they have meaning.

The concept of dreams in contemporary Mayan spirituality can be broken down into three general ideas. First of all, Dreams are a special time for your spirit, soul and consciousness to leave your physical resting body and travel. Secondly, dreams act as another means of interacting with
Ajaw (the Creator, the All, Light) and the ancestors. This interaction occurs mainly through rocks, called
camahuilles, which can carry the voice of Ajaw, various saints or the ancestors. And finally, dreams unveil an individuals´
nawal, their individual calling and destiny.

Dreams connect you with your adiosich, your soul, spirit and consciousness. The
adiosich (soul) actively travels when dreaming. That is the source of guidance, destiny, and meaning of life.
Dream interpretation and the connection with your soul or spirit through dreaming is an ancient concept that although has evolved, is still alive in the Mayan world today.

A "bad" dream can expose one's inner consciousness, the inner soul, and show a need to release negative thoughts. Dreams are thus sacred, they are reality, and they are taken very seriously as a means of communication in Mayan spirituality.

Shadow Wisdom: limiting self; loving conditionally with
expectations and judgments; issues of ideals and identificationShadow Transformation: Being love's presence sets you free.
Examine your concepts of self and divinity. Practice the art of
acceptance and allowance in order to embody unconditional love.

Meditation: "The same golden bird that dwells in the human
heart, dwells in the Sun."Affirmation: "I Am that I Am. ... I Am that I Am. ... I Am that I Am."
This mantra of Ahau is a meditation for accessing the I Am presence that contains great power and universal truth. Ahau is your
solar home, the Great Central Sun.

As you move toward your core of light, you will find a
clear-light awareness that is innately innocent. In this place,
the mind is restored to its original state of receptivity. Clarity and freedom become
expressions of being, and bliss becomes the body. At this core of light, a new reality is born.
From the union of the divine masculine and feminine is birthed
the solar androgyny of cosmic consciousness.

Now we find ourselves in a great awakening. We have the
opportunity to retrace our steps, to return to union with Original Cause. We who have deepened the illusion of separation
are now poised to retrieve what seemed to be lost forever.

Through the gift of rebirth and ascension, we are reclaiming our
original state of union with God. We are going home. If you choose to walk this path, know that in the embodiment of
your "I Am" self, you will learn to accept all things unconditionally, forgiving and releasing all judgments of
yourself and others.

Be at peace. Stay identified with the power of the Sun. Sail on
golden solar currents to your home in the stars! Move joyfully
toward whatever creates bliss and ecstasy for you! Forgive, release, and love all beings, all creation, as the unconditional
caress of the Sun. Honor and trust the language of light held
within your feelings, a spiritual compass that guides you home.
Open your heart as a flower to the Sun, and become the same love
that holds universes together!

In Mayan, Ahau (A-how) is a Sun God who devotes his song to the
universe.

I Am Ahau,
I Am that I Am,
Inexhaustible supply of love,sourcing infinitely in all worlds,
the seed of solar masterycontaining the stellar hologram of your return,

I am the Sun's love made visible as you.
In Ecstatic ascent, I spread solar wings,awakening in you the immensity of a love,
that joins all things in the joyful dance of light.

I Am Ahau, the golden ecstatic one.
I Am yourself -- there is no other!

Mayan Cosmology - Myth of Mayan
Creation

Mayan civilization is one of the oldest civilizations of the world. Their rich and colorful history included myths, cosmology and art. To people of Mayan civilization, the universe was viewed as the Yakche or "World Tree". "World Tree" was considered a Mayan cosmos because on 13th August 3114 BC (believed by Mayans to be the beginning of life on planet earth), the Milky Way had run from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere, dividing the earth into four directions - east, west, south and north.

The tree is the representation of the cosmology. The branches of the tree are the heaven where the Gods reside and the roots that grow underground denote the "Underworld". They believed the sun shone during the day and at night rested in Xibalba, the Underworld. The cosmology of Mayans consisted of Xibalba, Cab, Caan and Yakche which were the underworld, heaven, earth, and the "World Tree".

The Ancient Mayans were among the first to propose an organized sense of each level of a developing state of consciousness, its purpose, and its temporal connection to humankind. The
pyramid of consciousness has defined Mayan thought since the dawn of its civilization around 2000 BCE.

Shamans and priests defined consciousness as an awareness of being aware, commonly referred to as a branch of
metacognition (knowing about knowing). Because consciousness incorporates stimuli from the environment as well as internally, the Mayans believed it to be the most basic form of existence. (This is about "living in two worlds at one time").

This existence, which they referred to as a loose translation of
Cosmos, was made up of nine underworlds (or levels of consciousness). Within these nine underworlds are a specified "day" and "night", symbolizing
periods of enlightenment, increased consciousness, and a heightened ability to interact with the
universe.

THE PYRAMID OF CONSCIOUSNESS(with keywords from Dr. Francisco Coll
teachings)

Connection To the Earth
The Maya are one of many indigenous cultures around the world that engages in what is known as a nature-based religion.

When the Spanish arrived in Central America they forced the Maya to become Christians. The Maya were called pagans and mistreated if they did not adhere to the Christian doctrine that Spanish friars required them to follow. As the Maya converted to Christianity, they developed a blend of beliefs that included the Roman Catholic Church and their ancient religion. With the exception of the Maya who are part of the Protestant denominations that were brought into the area in the 1970s, many of the ancient beliefs and rituals are still practiced
today.

Spiritual significance is found in all living things. The Maya revere each animal and plant. One tree - the ceiba or cottonwood tree - holds special significance as the Maya use it as a symbol of the power of nature. Symbolically, the branches hold up the sky and the roots keep the earth together. The copal tree is sacred as well, as it produces the resin and the bark that are burned in censers during spiritual ceremonies.

The "four corners of the earth" or the earth's cardinal points are also important to the Maya; they are even associated with specific colors. The colors of blue and green are also important as they signify the sky and the environment. The four corners are important when praying; for example, a man may look to or turn to all four corners as he prays in his milpa prior to planting his corn.

THE LIVING MAYA

Cultural and Community EventsCultural events are part of the traditional way of life for the Mopan and Q´eqchi´ Maya. These activities can be categorized into festivals and dances, religious observances, and family/community celebrations. It is common for events in any of these categories to be related in some manner to the to the Maya's spiritual or religious beliefs.

Dances and festivals are taken very seriously by the Maya. There is a great commitment to engaging in these cultural celebrations in an authentic manner. Each costume, mask, and the dance looks the same as it did many years ago. The spiritual essence of events has also been kept intact over the years. Elders teach other interested family and community members how to perform the same dances or play the same musical scores that they were taught in their youth. It is a wonderful example of how cultural knowledge is passed through the generations in the Maya land. In addition, musical instruments are not only played but also made by local craftsmen.

Family and Community
Events that include all aspects of the lifecycle are celebrated through family gatherings that sometimes involve music and dancing. Communal activities involve the larger "village family" in celebrations, such as wedding feasts as well as events, such as fajinas and village meetings.

Spiritual PracticesThere are specific rituals attached to the planting and harvesting of corn, hunting and fishing, the blessing of a structure, and the use of ceremonial items. During these spiritual occasions the Maya may be:

Requesting permission to engage in an activity that will in some way effect the environment. (planting, hunting, fishing)

Expressing a special favor they need from the spirits

Asking that the spirits are benevolent to them; that no harm comes to those who engage in a certain activity or reside/work in a new structure

Expressing their reverence for the spirit that lives in an object such as a ceremonial mask, a musical instrument, or a residence

Spiritual activities are solemn and filled with ritual. Each generation of Maya has passed to the next the specific way that spiritual practices are to be carried out. Rituals may involve a certain order of activities, the voicing of specific prayers, and the involvement of particular people in the ceremony.

Spiritual activities may last for several minutes, hours, or days depending on the ritual that is being performed. One family, a small group, or a whole village may be included in the activities.

There are elements of a spiritual ritual that are common. Most spiritual ceremonies involve prayer, burning of copal incense, and the burning of candles. If the spirit of an item is being revered then in addition to actions noted above, the item may be given some food, the blood of an animal, or cacao drink.

After some spiritual rituals there may be a designated time of celebration where food and alcoholic beverages are served. Music may also be part of a spiritual ceremony. After some ceremonies, an activity, such as hunting, fishing, or planting simply begins.

ConservationMayan elders have always respected the land. They conserve natural resources not out of fear or lack, but rather out of respect for the land and the spirits that inhabit every living element. They understand their connection to the land. In fact, they see themselves as being part of the natural environment. To hurt the land would be to hurt themselves.

The conservation of natural resources is the traditional approach used by villagers as they interact with the land. The wisdom of village elders is an important aspect to consider when discussing conservation in a historical context because elders grew up with respect for their environment and the spirits connected to the natural elements. According to their spiritual beliefs, theirs is a partnership with the land and the spirits, as opposed to a need to have control over the elements.

Mayan prayers ask permission to plant "on the back" of the land or hunt "the animals of the gods." Their celebrations focus on giving thanks for their harvests and hunting bounties. Out of respect, they take only what they need and no more. Conservation is a natural and ongoing process. The concept of environmental waste is not part of their lives. If it is taken, it is used.

HealingHealing traditionally includes spiritual practice. This practice connects the person who is sick, the healer, and the spirits of nature. Healers feel that cures will not work unless both the healer and the patient are "thinking as one." Very few traditional healers simply grow herbs and dispense them to friends and family without there being a spiritual element involved.

Most individuals come to traditional healers for problems they themselves cannot cure. Most village elders have a working knowledge of the herbs for common health problems they have experienced over the years. A trip to a traditional healer - commonly called a bush doctor - occurs when a family member does not get well after a period of
time.

A healer is usually one who: has the knowledge of how to use herbs to effect positive change in the body;?has a deep reverence for nature and practices traditional spiritual rituals; one who apprenticed with a village elder in his younger years.

Traditional healers spend time gathering herbs that grow wild in the rainforest. A traditional healer has a keen eye for the plants he intends to gather. Prior to cutting the plant he says a prayer requesting permission for the plant to be cut. A traditional healer may use several diagnostic techniques, including investigating an individual's symptoms, prayer, and using a stone - a sastun - at which the healer gazes during a period of meditation.

The most famous contemporary Mayan healer in Belize, Elijio Panti of the Cayo District, also used a patient's pulse to form a diagnosis. Treatments include the use of herbs in either a tea or a poultice, instructions to engage in a particular behavior (such as staying inside or saying certain prayers), or a combination of the two.

Toltec Wisdom: The Four Agreements as popularized by Don Miguel Riuz
in his book The
Four Agreements

1. Be Impeccable with your
Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally:
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions:
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do
Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
-- more

Aboriginal spirituality is the belief that all objects are living and share
the same soul or spirit that Aboriginals share.
-Eddie Kneebone, Aboriginal Reconciliation campaigner and painter

Our spirituality is a oneness and an interconnectedness with all that lives and breathes,
even with all that does not live or breathe.
-Mudrooroo, Aboriginal writer

Aboriginal spirituality "is a feeling of oneness, of belonging", a connectedness with "deep innermost feelings". Everything else is secondary.
An Aboriginal person's soul or spirit is believed to "continue on after our physical form has passed through death", explains Eddie
Kneebone.
After the death of an Aboriginal person their spirit returns to the Dreamtime from where it will return through birth as a human, an animal, a plant or a rock.

Spiritual Song of the Aborigine
I am a child of the Dreamtime People
Part of this Land, like the gnarled gumtree
I am the river, softly singing
Chanting our songs on my way to the sea
My spirit is the dust-devils
Mirages, that dance on the plain
I'm the snow, the wind and the falling rain
I'm part of the rocks and the red desert earth
Red as the blood that flows in my veins
I am eagle, crow and snake that glides
Thorough the rain-forest that clings to the mountainside
I awakened here when the earth was new
There was emu, wombat, kangaroo
No other man of a different hue
I am this land
And this land is me
I am Australia.

by
Hyllus Maris

Aboriginal
Spirituality and Beliefs

Aboriginal
spirituality is relating to indigenous groups in
Australia. Aboriginal spirituality is inextricably
linked to land, "it's like picking up a piece of
dirt and saying this is where I started and this is
where I'll go. The land is our food, our culture, our
spirit and identity."

Dreamtime and Dreaming are not the same thing. Dreaming
is the environment the Aboriginal people lived in and it
still exists today "all around us". None
of the hundreds of Aboriginal languages contains a word
for "time".

The
Creation Period - The Dreamtime

Similar
to other religions, there was a time in Aboriginal
belief when things were created. This "Creation
Period" was the time when the Ancestral Beings
created landforms, such as certain animals digging,
creating lagoons or pushing up mountain ranges, or the
first animals or plants being made. The Aboriginal word
for this Creation Period varies throughout Australia.
Aboriginal people often interpret dreams as being the
memory of things that happened during this Creation
Period. Dreams are also important because they can be a
time when we are transformed back into that ancestral
time. This linking of dreams to the Creation Period has
led people to adopt the general term "The
Dreamtime" in order to describe the time of
creation in their religion. The term
"Dreamtime" in Aboriginal mythology is not
really about a person having a dream, but rather, a
reference to this Creation Period.

Australian
Aboriginal Funerals

They
have no regular hour of burial. The body is placed in a
grave about four feet deep, generally in a sitting
posture facing the direction of its birthplace, and is
covered over with paper bark. Then the grave is filled
in with earth. If the deceased has been a good warrior
they encircle the grave with boughs and decorated with a
few relies. All men attending the burial are in war
paint, and on some occasions, the body is similarly
dressed. If the deceased has been a good sportsman they
often place his body among the rocks, and after a time
his family circle gather and keep in their possession
his small bones, which are supposed to impart to them
his skill in hunting.

The
near relations, as a semblance of mourning, refrain from
eating fish or kangaroo, unless the latter is a very
small one. This they call being "Chadgie"
until the season has passed, when one of the elders
terminates the observance by rubbing them across the
mouth with a piece of kangaroo flesh, when the fast is
broken.

Stone piles representing two moieties. Photo: David M.
Welch

Moietie
Throughout Australia, the moiety system divides all the
members of a tribe into two groups, based on a
connection with certain animals, plants, or other
aspects of their environment. A person is born into one
or other group and this does not change throughout their
life. A person belonging to one moiety has to marry a
person of the opposite moiety. This is called an
"exogamous" system, meaning that marriage has
to be external to the group.

The
Mother-in-Law Rule
The ban on speaking to one's mother in law

Aboriginal
custom all over Australia bans a person from talking
directly to their mother in law. This rule applies to
both men and women talking to their mother in law.
Perhaps this rule was developed to overcome such a
common cause of friction in families, when a husband or
wife has to endure many years of disagreement or
argument from their mother in law! To allow this rule to
work, communication took place via a third person. So,
if you wanted your mother in law to do something for
you, you might ask your spouse or another person:
"Please ask your mother (so and so) to do (so and
so) for me".

LOOK Youth Summer
Camp Scholarships

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8-28 for summer camp. Print this flyer
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Traditional African medicine is a holistic discipline involving indigenous herbalism
and African spirituality, typically involving diviners, midwives,
and herbalists. Practitioners of traditional African
medicine claim to be able to cure various and diverse
conditions.

Diagnosis is reached through
spiritual
means
and a treatment is prescribed, usually consisting of an
herbal remedy that has not only healing abilities, but
symbolic and spiritual significance.

Traditional African medicine, with
its belief that illness is not derived from chance
occurrences, but through spiritual or social imbalance,
differs greatly from Western medicine, which is
technically and analytically based.
In the 21st century, modern pharmaceuticals and medical
procedures remain inaccessible to large numbers of
African people due to their relatively high cost and
concentration of health centers in urban centers. In
recent years, African medical practitioners have
acknowledged that they have much to learn from
traditional medical practice.

In
an instant illumination can be achieved,
it is as easy as turning on a light,
the problem is finding the switch in the dark.

-Moroccan Proverb

African Naming
Ceremony

African religion has ceremonies that mark the milestones in life just like any other religion: One type of ceremony is a baptism type ceremony.

Consider the state of your life before you name a
child.
-proverb, Yoruba of Nigeria

Choosing a child's name is a very important matter in all African cultures. This ceremony marks the infant's rites of passage. In many parts of Africa it is believed that the name parents give an infant can determine the child's success in life. They value highly family and family history - thus African naming is a family affair. The ritual contains 3 components:

They are a spiritual package reconnecting the living with their ancestors. A newborn baby may be named for a family trait - the practice reconnects the clan with its past.

They are a social commentary about who you are and what your family is about.

They reflect the hopes and aspirations of the family. Names given to
off spring tend to reflect a desire for them.

For it's through our names that we first place ourselves in the world.
Our names, being the gift of others, must be made our own.
They must become our mask and our shields and
the containers of all those values and traditions
which we learn and/or image
as being the meaning of our familiar past.

-Ralph Ellison

We
desire to bequest two things to our children -
the first one is roots;
the other one is wings.

- Sudanese Proverb

African
Wedding
Ceremonies

In
marriage ceremonies, there are as many traditions as there
are different tribes and cultures. Here are two examples of unique traditions.

Wedding Traditions of the Woyo People
- Congo/Zaire

Marriage is a key moment that follows immediately after initiation among many peoples because both events serve to break the bonds of the individual with childhood and the unmarried state, and to reintegrate the individual into the adult community.

Among the Woyo people, a young woman is given a set of carved pot lids by her mother when she marries and moves to her husband's home. Each of the lids is carved with images that illustrate proverbs about relations between husband and wife.

If a husband abuses his wife in some way or if the wife is unhappy, she serves the husband's supper in a bowl that is covered with a lid decorated with the appropriate proverb. She can make her complaints public by using such a lid when her husband brings his friends home for dinner.

Kola Nuts

The kola nut is most often used
for medicinal purposes in Africa. It is also essential
in most African weddings. The kola nut symbolizes the
couple's willingness to always help heal each other. In
Nigeria, the ceremony is not complete until a kola nut
is shared between the couple and their parents. Many
African-Americancouples incorporate the sharing of
a kola nut into their ceremonies, and then keep the nut
in their home afterwards as a reminder to always work at
healing any problems they encounter.

Symbols
are (L to R): the Supremacy of God, Harmony,
Adaptability, Energy, Intelligence.
Adinkra symbols from the Akan people of Ghana in West
Africa.

May Focus:Polynesian & Maori
Spiritual Traditions
Māori - the Polynesian indigenous people of New Zealand

Koru:
shape of a
new unfurling silver fern frond

Maori Beliefs and Culture

Though some of their war tactics have been savage, the
Maori are known as a spiritual people who incorporate
beliefs and ritual into everyday life. Although some of
the beliefs and traditions have
been
diluted due to outside influence over the last 150 to
200 years, many are still revered and commonly
practiced. For example, Maori believe that ancestors and
supernatural beings are ever-present and able to help
the tribe in times of need.

Another of the group's foremost beliefs is
that everything and everyone are connected and therefore a part of their
whakapapa (genealogy). Whakapapa includes genealogies of spiritual and mythological significance, as well
as information about the person's tribe and the land he or she lives on. In short, whakapapa tells
the story of each person's spiritual and physical existence, traditionally beginning with the arrival
of ancestors in canoes and progressing to present-day. The Maori strongly believe future
mistakes can only be avoided by acknowledging the errors of the past. The act of reciting
whakapapa helps accomplish this noble feat by continually reminding them of past mistakes.

The Maori also emphasize the importance of
mana (honor, prestige, influence, authority, power). They believe in three forms of
mana:

Mana achieved by birth. This mana comes from the person's whakapapa, and can be attributed
to the rank or status of descendents.

Mana given by other people. This is more easily understood as recognition for good deeds.
Humbleness is particularly appreciated among the Maori.

Mana of the group. Outsiders who visit or stay with a group influence this type of mana. Mana
is increased if they pass along the word that the group treated them well during a stay.

Religious
Beliefs The Maori held an essentially spiritual view of the universe.
Anything associated with the supernatural was invested with
tapu, a mysterious quality
which made those things or persons imbued with it either sacred or unclean according
to context. Objects and persons could also possess mana, psychic power. Both qualities,
which were Inherited or acquired through contact, could be augmented or diminished
during one's lifetime.

As in all aspects of Polynesian religion, human beings are seen as powerful and capable. They are not terrified and overpowered by phenomena of the dead. Inborn talent, trained sensitivity, and education enable them to handle
gods and spirits as naturally as they do the winds and the waves. Indeed, Polynesian Christians, living in the same world as their ancestors, often supplement their new religion with such traditional beliefs and practices. The combinations they create are compelling and broadening. The Polynesian's understanding of family as a spiritual power, of deceased family members as continuing sources of love and care, of the closeness and communion of
the living and the dead, and of the human being's capacity to manage death as well as life are a genuine contribution to the world.

The yam, or sweet potato, is one of the basic food crops of Polynesia. A number of myths explain the origin of this important food. One Maori myth tells how the god Rongo-maui went to heaven to see his brother Wahnui, the guardian of the yam. Rongo-maui stole the yam, hid it in his clothing, and returned to earth. Soon after, he made his wife, Pani, pregnant, and she later gave birth to a yam, the first on earth. Rongo-maui gave this food to humans.

The
Huna tradition represents a unique expression of indigenous wisdom emerging from the secret teachings of the ancient Polynesian culture of Hawaii and the South Seas islands. All these island cultures are linked by a common root language, common mythology, shared shamanistic practices and similar approaches to everyday relating, commerce, health and community. The Huna path in its broadest scope represents a remarkable approach to life, grounded in insights linked to the deepest origins of humankind, yet applicable directly to our current society.

When we look closely at the two short Polynesian words that make up the word
huna, we gain instant insight into the deeper nature of the Huna wisdom tradition. First of all, in this ancient language,
hu refers to all things "masculine," while na refers to all things " feminine." Thus the word huna is a verbal expression of the primary creative act of merging the world's energy poles into one living whole, just as the Chinese express it through the yin-yang symbol.
Depending on the context, we also find that hu refers to action, movement, chaos, change, or power ... while
na refers to the qualities of order, calm, peace, and endurance.

Thus, the underlying nature of
hu-na is the practice, in all dimensions, of bringing our different aspects into a greater
harmony and balance so that we become whole spiritual beings, capable of potent material manifestation and compassionate relating.

One of the greatest discoveries of the ancient
kahunas, master of huna, was that love works better than anything else as a tool for effective action. Because love implies being in harmony with the world, a truly loving intent is the most powerful spiritual force the world can know.

The Hawaiian word for love is the well-known term
aloha. Traditionally, the word aloha meant "the joyful sharing of life in the present moment," or equally, "our hearts are singing together." When we understand alo as meaning "to be with" and oha as meaning "happiness" - the deeper intent of the word becomes clear.

Furthermore, the core term
ha means "breath of life." When combined with
alo, the meaning of alo-ha becomes "to be joyful together and filled with the breath of life."

Muslim doctrine is often summarized
in "Six Articles of Faith." According to this list, to be a Muslim one must believe in:

One God

The angels of
God

The books of God, especially the
Qur'an

The prophets of God, especially
Muhammad

The Day of Judgment (or the
afterlife)

The supremacy of God's will (or
predestination)

This list is sometimes shortened to Five Articles of Faith, which leaves
off belief in the supremacy of God's will.

See
Through the Illusions

God made the illusion look real and the real an
illusion.
He concealed the sea and made the foam visible, the wind
invisible, and the dust manifest.
You see the dust whirling, but how can the dust rise by
itself?
You see the foam, but not the ocean.
Invoke Him with deeds, not words;
For deeds are real and will save you in the
infinite-life.
- Rumi

Shall
I not inform you of a better act than fasting, alms, and
prayers? Making peace between one another: enmity and
malice tear up heavenly rewards by the roots.

Do you know what is better than charity and fasting and
prayer? It is keeping peace and good relations between
people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind.

-the Prophet Muhammad

Islam Daily
Prayers

Perhaps the most well known Muslim practices among non-Muslims is ritual prayer, or
salat, which is performed
five times each day: at dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and evening. Prayer is always directed in the direction of the
Ka'ba shrine in Mecca. A prayer mat, sajjada, is commonly used during
salat. Salat may be performed individually,
but it carries special merit when done with other Muslims. The focal prayer of the week is the midday prayer at the
mosque on Fridays. Salat must always be preceded by ablutions of ritually washing the face, hands, and feet. This can be done with
sand when water is not available. At the five appointed times, a muezzin announces a call to prayer traditionally
from a mosque's minaret. The words of the shahada feature heavily in the call to prayer:

God
is most great
I bear witness there is no god but God
I bear witness Muhammad is the
prophet of God
Come to prayer
Come to wellbeing
Prayer is better than sleep
God is most great
There is no God but God

Reality of Angels

In common folklore, angels are thought of as good forces of nature, hologram images,
or illusions. Western iconography sometimes depicts angels as fat cherubic babies or
handsome young men or women with a halo surrounding their head. In Islamic doctrine,
they are real created beings who will eventually suffer death, but are generally hidden
from our senses.

They are not divine or semi-divine, and they are not God's associates running
different districts of the universe. Also, they are not objects to be worshipped or prayed
to, as they do not deliver our prayers to God. They all submit to God and carry out His
commands.

In the Islamic worldview, there are no fallen angels: they are not divided into 'good'
and 'evil' angels. Human beings do not become angels after death. Satan is not a fallen
angel, but is one of the jinn, a creation of God parallel to human beings and angels.

Angels were created from light before human beings were created, and thus their
graphic or symbolic representation in Islamic art is rare. Nevertheless, they are generally
beautiful beings with wings as described in Muslim scripture.

Angels form different cosmic hierarchies and orders in the sense that they are of
different size, status, and merit. The greatest of them is Gabriel. The Prophet of Islam actually saw him in his original
form. Also, the attendants of God's Throne are among the greatest angels. They love the
believers and beseech God to forgive them their sins. They carry the Throne of God,
about whom the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him,
said:

"I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels of God who carry the
Throne. The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a
seven-hundred-year journey." (Abu Daud)

Sufism

Sufi
mystics of Turkey and Persia and whirling is one of
their modes of worship. Sufism
got its content and rituals
from Islam,
but also picked up elements from older religious
practices. Sufism developed gradually in early Islam,
but there is little proof of real Sufism before 800 AD.
Today there are some five million Sufis, mostly in Egypt
and Sudan

Whatever we perceive in the world around us tends to reflect who we are
and what we care about most deeply, as in the old saying,
"When a thief sees a saint, all he sees are his pockets."

February
Focus

Judaic

Spiritual
Tradition

“There
are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

-Albert
Einstein

Trust
Yourself - Flames of Achievement

“Trust
yourself.
Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with
all your life.
Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks
of possibility
into flames of achievement.”

-Golda
Meir, fourth Prime Minister of Israel

Interconnected

"The
life of all creatures and our own lives are One;
profoundly dependent upon each other....
We call our ancient scroll of wisdom, the Torah, a 'tree of
life',
for it, like Earth's great forests sustains us.
Torah teaches that creation, in its great diversity,
is harmoniously interconnected.
Like the trees, we too need strong deep roots for
nourishment.
The uplifted branches of trees point to our future.
The Psalmist was right when he said,
'like a tree planted by the waters, we shall not be
moved.'"

- Rabbi Warren G. Stone

The Torah"The general purpose of the Torah is twofold:
the well-being of the soul and the well-being of the
body.
The well-being of the soul is ranked first but … the
well-being of the body comes first."
- Maimonides (1135-1204)
the foremost rabbinical Torah scholar, physician,
philosopher

i.e. The well-being of the soul is more important,
but the
well-being of the body comes first, for it is the context for spiritual development.

Jewish
Kabbalah WisdomYour deep soul hides itself from consciousness. So you
need to increase aloneness, elevation of thinking,
penetration of thought, liberation of mind - until finally
your soul reveals itself to you, spangling a few sparkles of
her lights.

Spiritual
teachers ultimately agree that true wisdom does not come
from outside of us, but from within. And it does not come
from within because we want it. It comes when we live
in a way that invites wisdom. It comes through direct
experience....

We can learn about the spiritual experiences of others, or
we can bring meaningful practice into our own daily lives.
We can learn about mysticism, or we can practice being
mystics.

-from "God is a Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of
Mystical Judaism,"
by Rabbi David A. Cooper bookamazon

Protection and
Abundance

The Lord is my
shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me
beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a
table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalms 23

January Focus:ChristianSpiritual Traditions

Traditional Christian Symbols

Watch this page for coming
topics such as:
- Did you know? Many Christian branches and denominations
are in protest of a previous denomination. How dothey all
relate to each other? [see below]
- Did you know? There have been
many official editions of the Christian Bible. How
"authentic" is each edition Christian Bible? Which
parts of the Christian Bible are shared in common with other
religions? [soon] - Did you know? Some
Christian churches seek to develop Spiritual Gifts of
the individual. Which ones teach which Spiritual Gift?
[soon]
- Did you know? Interesting
facts on the role of women in denominations. [soon]
- Did you know? Which songs
and hymns are spiritually inspiring outside of
Christianity? [soon]
- Did you know? Ways to build
a bridge with devout friends of different denominations.
[soon]
- Did you know? Meditation
is a solid Christian tradition. Who has practiced &
taught it? [soon]-send suggestions to webmaster@WCFworld.org
for inclusion

CHURCH HISTORY and SPIRITUAL CHANGES

Jesus founded the Church
through the apostle Peter. After a thousand years there was a major split into the
Roman Catholic
Church in Rome and the Eastern Orthodox Church
in Constantinople that is known as The Great
Schism (1054AD).

The Roman Catholic Pope was
considered to speak for God and could be infallible. The
Orthodox Pope was considered to be an elected
representative of the Church. There are many other
differences as well.

Orthodox Cross of the Eastern Orthodox Church

Creating Change from
within the ChurchFrancis of Assisi founded the Franciscan Order within
the Roman Catholic Church. Now known as Saint Francis of Assisi (1181 –1226)
he wasan Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the Third Order of Saint Francis for men and women not living monastic lives.
The Franciscans are active today: Conventional
Franciscans

Traditional painting of Saint Francis with animals

The Tau Cross of St Francis

Francis used the
TAU in his writings, painted in on the walls and
doors of the places where he stayed, and used it
as his only signature on his writings

St Francis with
animals

The Reformations below
created change, but broke with the Roman Catholic Church.

The Protestant Reformation

About 500 years after the
Great Schism Martin Luther
(monk, priest and Professor of Theology ) saw that the Roman Catholic Church had
strayed in too many ways from its own purpose and published his
95
Theses by legendarily nailing them on the front door of the
church. His founding of the Lutheran Church in 1517 started the Protestant Reformation.
Soon other denominations were formed: the Mennonites (1537), Amish (1693), Quakers
(1648), Presbyterians (1560) and Baptists (1609). Martin
Luther changed many aspects of religious practice such as:

God speaks to directly
to Individuals: An individual wanting
spiritual guidance as a Catholic must seek it from a
priest and the church teachings and the Bible was read
and interpreted by priests, not individuals. In Protestantism
the individual could read the Bible and determine his own
answers. The new technology of the printing press, made
famous by printing the Gutenberg Bible (first in 1450),
made private ownership of Bibles possible and affordable.

Salvation is Free. Luther taught that the path
to salvation is not earned by
good deeds but received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus
Christ. Many religions differ on the role of good deeds on the spiritual growth of the individual.

The Bible Speaks to each person. He challenged the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the
Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge, and
considered all baptized Christians to be a holy
priesthood. He
translated the Bible from the esoteric Latin into a common language
Bible so individuals could read it
themselves. His hymns introduced singing into the
churches. He said Protestant priests canmarry.

The English Reformation

Emboldened by Martin Luther
seventeen years later, King Henry VIII of England,
when he could not get the Roman Pope to grant him a divorce,
formed his own Anglican Church in 1534 which later branched
into the Congregational Church (1582), Episcopal Church
(1607) and Methodists (1738). Divorce was allowed.
There were other major differences that caused the
break-apart.

The early "circuit
riders" were traveling clergy who rode
between small towns, set up
small study groups in homes, sang hymns, pray for healing and read the Bible.
These traveling riders also taught
reading in areas of no schools, so families could read the Bible
between his visits and get direct inspiration for themselves. They
also promoted his next month visit and the next regioinal Camp
Meeting.

"No family was too poor, no house too filthy, no
town too remote, and no people too ignorant to receive the
good news that life could be better."

The frontier Camp
Meetings of the 1700s and 1800s in the southern states
were organized by Methodists the Baptists. People would travel and camp for a week at
these regional spiritual mega-events which featured many
preachers and
attracted up to 10-25 thousand regional settlers during that
week.
This period of time was
called the Second Great Awakening.

Technique: read these last 3
paragraphs using "spiritual leader" in place of
"traveling clergy" and see what insights are
gained.

Watch here for other topics
on Christianity, e.g.
Books and authors on these topics
Women in Christianity: Saints, Church founders, Founders of
Orders
Religious Knowledge Quiz
The denominations page will show distinctive
denominational differences

About
the
Mayan "End of the World Calendar"
Solstice of December 21, 2012
---
What Would Buddha Say?

Let us rise up and be thankful,
for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little,
and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick,
and if we got sick, at least we didn't die;
so, let us all be thankful.
-Buddha

The
Road to Truth

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth;
not going all the way,
and not starting.
-Buddha

Doubt
vs Certitude

There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt.
Doubt separates people.
It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations.
It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.
-Buddha

Sharing
Happiness

Thousands
of candles can be lighted from a single candle,
and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared
- Buddha

Pure
Thoughts & Happiness

If a
man speaks or acts with pure thoughts,
happiness follows him
like a shadow that never leaves.
- Buddha

Happiness
cannot be found through great effort and willpower,
but is already there in relaxation and letting go.
-Lama Gendun Rinpoche

Blessings
and Healing

By
the power of every moment of your goodness,
may all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
May no obstacles come across your way.
May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.

For
all in whose heart dwells respect,
Who follow the wisdom and compassion of the Way,
may your life prosper in the four blessings
of old age, beauty, happiness and strength.

-from
a Buddhist Traditional Blessing and Healing Chant

See
Clearly

"If we could see
the miracle of a single flower clearly,
our whole life would change."
- Buddha

Every
Day, Think as You Wake Up ...

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive,
I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.
I am going to use all my energies to develop myself,
to expand my heart out to others;
to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
I am going to have kind thoughts towards others,
I am not going to get angry or think badly about others.
I am going to benefit others as much as I can.

The
holiday that is fairly universal in the Buddhism countries
is for the celebration of the birth of Buddha, 2,500 years
ago. This date is called Buddha day. Traditionally,
Buddha's Birthday is known as Vesak or Visakah Puja
(Buddha's Birthday Celebrations). Vesak is the major
Buddhist festival of the year as it celebrates the birth,
enlightenment and death of the Buddha on the one day, the
first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the
festival is held in June. This celebration is called Vesak
being the name of the month in the Indian calendar.

Buddhist
Festivals are always joyful occasions. Typically on a
festival day, lay people will go the the local temple or
monastery and offer food to the monks and take the Five
Precepts and listen to a Dharma talk. In the afternoon, they
distribute food to the poor to make merit, and in the
evening perhaps join in a ceremony of circumambulation of a
stupa three times as a sign of respect to the Buddha, Dhamma,
Sangha. The day will conclude with evening chanting of the
Buddha's teachings and meditation.

Buddhist
New Year

New
Year is the Buddhist countries of Sri Lanka are based on the
Lunar Calendar and occurs in different months according to
the culture. In Theravadin countries, Thailand, Burma, Sri
Lanka, Cambodia and Laos, the new year is celebrated for
three days from the first full moon day in April. In
Mahayana countries the new year starts on the first full
moon day in January. However, the Buddhist New Year depends
on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people.
As for example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate
late January or early February according to the lunar
calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one
month later.

November Focus:HinduSpiritual Traditions

Be the change
you wish to see.Mahatma Gandhi(attributed to
Gandhi wikipedia)

I am a
spirit living in a body.
I am not the body.
The body will die, but I shall not die. -Swami
Vivekananda

Live as if you
were to die tomorrow.
Learn as if you were to live forever.
-Mahatma Gandhi

Acting without
Effort
(Diminishing Will, Letting Be, Wu Wei)

The Tao Te Ching
allude to "diminishing doing" or "diminishing
will" as the key aspect of the sage's success. Taoist
philosophy recognizes that the Universe already works
harmoniously according to its own ways; as a person exerts
their will against or upon the world they disrupt the harmony
that already exists. This is not to say that a person should
not exert agency and will. Rather, it is how one acts in
relation to the natural processes already extant. The how, the
Tao of intention and motivation, that is key.

The Sage is
occupied with the unspoken and acts without effort.
Teaching without verbosity,
producing without possessing,
creating without regard to result,
claiming nothing, the Sage has nothing to lose.
-Tao Te Ching

Wu Wei has also
been translated as "creative quietude," or the art
of letting-be.

As one diminishes
doing - here 'doing' means those intentional actions taken to
benefit us or actions taken to change the world from its
natural state and evolution - one diminishes all those actions
committed against the Tao, the already present natural
harmony.
-- more
on Wu wei

Yama: 10 Basic
Human Values in Hinduism
#7 Madhuryam: A Hindu believes in possessing sweetness of
disposition and a pleasing and pleasant personality. He is not
rude or impolite and comes across as a balanced and likeable
personVisit our Hindu page

October Focus:TaoismThe Taoist Spiritual
Tradition

Taoism is not a religion, nor a
philosophy. It is a "Way" of life. It is a River.
The Tao is the natural order of things. It is a force that
flows through every living and sentient object, as well as
through the entire universe.

Lao Tzu's ancient text still
resonates today. The Tao Te Ching was written by Lao-tzu at
the end of the sixth century B.C.

All the world knows beauty, but
if
that becomes beautiful,
this becomes ugly.

Weekly
meditation:
Happiness is like manna; it is to be gathered in grains, and enjoyed every day.
It will not keep; it cannot be accumulated;
nor have we got to go out of ourselves or into remote places to gather it,
since it has rained down from a Heaven, at our very door.
- Tryon Edwards

We are never complete and our
experience and situation are partial... Rather than searching
for some center, we become effective in action - wise - by
looking out and enlarging our perspective. Indeed, life
is a process of developing our perspective in conversation,
creating and expanding ourselves by experimenting with others'
experiences as well.
-from Wu-Weifarer, Daoist
Quotes

Daoism, an
Ancient Chinese spiritual philosophy. The tradition holds that
all beings and things are fundamentally one. Daoism's focuses
on nature and the natural order of things. Taoists strongly
promote health and vitality, the pizzaz of life.
Development of virtue is one's chief task. The Three Jewels
to be sought are compassion, moderation and humility.

This week on Sept. 23 we will
experience the fall equinox. In China, where the Taoist
tradition began, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as
the Moon Festival, is celebrated around (but not
precisely) the time of the September equinox. This occasion
dates back more than 3000 years and occurs around the time of
the full moon. It celebrates the abundance of the summer's
harvest and one of the main foods is the mooncake filled with
lotus, sesame seeds, a duck egg or dried fruit.

This tradition
originated from the ancient tradition of making offerings to
the sun in the spring and to the moon in the autumn. It is
also a time for families to get together and people often
travel long distances to be with their loved ones. The streets
are decorated with lanterns, incenses are burned and fire
dragon dances take place.

The
highest good is like water.
Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not
strive.
It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao.

In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling, be just.
In business, be competent.
In action, watch the timing...

-from
the Tao Te Ching

Tai Chi

There is a long
history of involvement by Taoists in various exercise and
movement techniques. Tai chi in particular works on all parts
of the body. It "stimulates the central nervous system,
lowers blood pressure, relieves stress and gently tones
muscles without strain. It also enhances digestion,
elimination of wastes and the circulation of blood. Moreover,
tai chi's rhythmic movements massage the internal organs and
improve their functionality." Traditional Chinese
medicine teaches that illness is caused by blockages or lack
of balance in the body's "chi" (intrinsic energy).

Wakan Tanka, Great Mystery, teach me how to trust my heart,
my mind, my intuition, my inner knowing,
the senses of my body, the blessings of my spirit.
Teach me to trust these things
so that I may enter my Sacred Space
and love beyond my fear,
and thus Walk in Balance
with the passing of each glorious Sun.
~ Lakota Prayer

Be Alive

Death is not the biggest fear
we have;
our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive –
the risk to be alive and express what we really are.

- Miguel Ángel Ruiz

One Rendition of the Native
American's Ten Commandments:

The Ten Commandments, Version 1
1. The Earth is our Mother; care for Her
2. Honor all your relations.
3. Open your heart and soul to the Great Spirit.
4. All life is sacred; treat all beings with respect.
5. Take from the Earth what is needed and nothing more.
6. Do what needs to be done for the good of all.
7. Give constant thanks to the Great Spirit for each day.
8. Speak the truth but only for the good in others.
9. Follow the rhythms of Nature.
10. Enjoy life's journey; but leave no tracks.

:
“ Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect."

-Chief Seattle, 1854, Native American

Earth Teach Me To Remember

Earth Teach Me to Remember
Earth teach me stillness
As the grasses are stilled with light.
Earth teach me suffering
As old stones suffer with memory.

Earth Teach me humility
As blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth Teach me caring
As the mother who secures her young.

Earth teach me courage
As the tree which stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation
As the ant which crawls on the ground
As the eagle which soars in the sky.

Earth teach me resignation.
As the leaves which dies in the the fall.
Earth teach me regeneration
As the seed which rises in the spring.

Earth teach me to forget myself
As melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness
As dry fields weep in the rain.

-Ute, North American

A Great
Legacy

The Native American culture has provided a great legacy. One of the contribution made from the history Mohawk Native tribe was the creation of the Haundenosaunee Confederacy. From this form of government came the concepts of constitutional government and representative democracy.

Under this government a law was
passed, called the Great Law of Peace and Good Mind that
upholds principles of kinship, woman’s leadership, and the
value of the widest community consensus.

It is believed that some of the early American leaders studies the Confederacy and this particular law and used it as a basis for setting up the American government.

Toltec Wisdom: The Four Agreements as popularized by Don Miguel Riuz
in his book The
Four Agreements

1. Be Impeccable with your
Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally:
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions:
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do
Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

The World According to the Maya 2012
The Maya believed the world was a horizontal plane with four
corners, each represented by a color. East was red
symbolizing the rebirth of the sun. West was black - the
place for the sun's death. White represented north and
yellow was south. A fifth vertical coordinate lay at the
earth's center and its color was blue-green. In this center
a big ceiba tree grew, uniting the Mayan universe. Its roots
reached down to the underworld of the dead and its trunk
stretched up into heaven, where the gods lived. In this
landscape full of caves, it's easy to see how nature
supports such a belief. The caves are cool and damp, much
like you would imagine the Underworld. Often the roots of
the trees stretch right through the cave roof in search for
water. The mountains and caves were the transitions between
the physical world and the spiritual world. As the Yucatan
is nearly flat, the pyramids were seen as manmade mountains,
as a center of power. A temple doorway represents a cave
leading into the center of that mountain - and into the
Underworld.

The Ancient MayaThe Maya occupied a vast area covering southeast Mexico
and the Central American countries of Guatemala, Belize,
Honduras and El Salvador. Mayan culture began to develop in
the Pre-Classic period, around 1000 B.C. and was at its
heyday between 300 and 900 A.D. The Maya are well known for
their writing, of which a great part can now be read, as
well as for their advanced mathematics, astronomy and
calendrical calculations. Many people know of the Mayan
calendar and that it is said to end in Dec. 2012 causing
speculation that time is the end of the world as we know it.

The Maya had a complex religion with a huge pantheon of
gods. In the Mayan worldview, the plane on which we live is
just one level of a multi-layered universe made up of 13
heavens and nine underworlds. Each of these planes is ruled
by a specific god and inhabited by others. Hunab Ku was the
creator god and various other gods were responsible for
forces of nature, such as Chac, the rain god.

Archaeologists today generally believe that a combination of
elements brought about the collapse of the Mayan empire,
probably brought on by severe drought and deforestation.
Even though the ancient cities are gone, there are many
Mayan descendents in the central Americas today. Present-day
Mayan religion is a colorful hybrid of Catholicism and
ancient beliefs and rituals.

Mayan Law of TimeThe law of time affirms that by the nature of the
universal timing frequency the world is one
life. It is only humankind who has chosen separation.
This spearationis reinforced by separate in time, living by
the clock and irregular measure of the Gregorian calendar
keep the world from being One life.

We are at a time when our traditional thought structures are
crumbling, crating an opening for a new and lighter energy
to emerge. In this time of massive change, we are
being called to transform ourselves from the inside out.
2012 marks the year of the Great self-transformation.
This means a willingness to surrender our conditional
historical personality and concepts about the universe
in order to embody a higher truth. We have had
intimations and intuitions and peripheral visions of
greater realities, but now is the time to access these
dimensions and expand our awarness of the vast reality that
we inhabit. -- Catherine Bean Weser --

Mayan
End Age 12-21-2012

Mayan
Calendar "An Apocalypse (Greek: "lifting of the
veil" or "revelation") is a disclosure of
something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era
dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to
be lifted." - Wikipedia

"Both
the Hopis and Mayans recognize that we are approaching the
end of a World Age... In both cases, however, the Hopi and
Mayan elders do not prophesy that everything will come to an
end. Rather, this is a time of transition from one World Age
into another. The message they give concerns our making a
choice of how we enter the future ahead. Our moving through
with either resistance or acceptance will determine whether
the transition will happen with cataclysmic changes or
gradual peace and tranquility. The same theme can be found
reflected in the prophecies of many other Native American
visionaries from Black Elk to Sun Bear."-
- Joseph Robert Jochmans

Many
scholars believe that the ancient Maya's influenced the
Native American tribes of North America. According to
author, John Heinerman, PHD, in his book " Spiritual
Wisdom of the Native Americans" . Native American
tribes undoubtedly developed their agriculture, pyramidal
mounds, ceramic art, and other evidences of culture though
influences of the Maya. Artifacts found in a cave in
southern USA bare a striking resemblance to Maya artifacts
found in Mexico and Guatemala. the Maya culture had a
tremendous respect for the role of women in the society and
the family structure was revered. Raising of children
as community effort and revering of ancestors are found in
most Native American tribes and may have found the roots
from the Maya culture

The
ancient Mayan civilization understood the universal
principles that create and sustain the world. These “first
principles” underlie the physical laws that modern science
has used to create technological miracles, but the first
principles of Mayan sacred science embraced a much larger
universe in which human beings were seen to be
multidimensional and capable of traveling beyond time and
space, beyond the confines that limit modern science with
its “laws” that are valid only in the physical
three-dimensional plane. But human beings, with our capacity
for supra-sensory spiritual vision, are more than
three-dimensional.

The first day of spring is also known as the Vernal Equinox. Alban Eiler, which means, "Light of the
Earth," is one of the two days that night and day stand equal. The equinoxes and solstices were holy
times of transition for the ancient Celts, a celebration of the miraculous balance of nature and life
cycles of renewal.

The Spring Equinox is the mid-point of the waxing year. The spark of light that was born at the Winter
Solstice has reached maturity. Today the light and dark are equal; from this day forward, the days grow
longer than the nights. We have survived another Winter and are once more surrounded by the delights of
Spring. It is a time for celebrating the greening of the Earth, and crops are typically sown at this
time.

This is the time of full Dawn, and was the time of the festivals of the Grecian goddess, Eostre, and the
Germanic Ostara, both goddesses of Dawn. Some believe that this is where we get the word "Easter". Since
the Spring Equinox is a time to celebrate fertility, and many cultures see eggs as a symbol of Life or
the home of the soul, decorated eggs have been part of spring celebrations for centuries.

GRACEIn the presence of my people
back to the beginning of life,
In the witness of the gods and the ungods,
In homage to the immense generosity of the universe,
I give thanks before my portion